Boil-water notices lifted for 11,300 Roscommon homes
Boil-water notices have been lifted for 11,300 Irish Water customers in Roscommon.
It follows inspections at the Killeglan and Castlerea plants by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Some customers in Roscommon have had to boil water for drinking since 2009.
Irish Water said boil-water notices would be lifted for 22,700 people in the county Roscommon this year in a €26.8m investment.
Householders were advised that water had to be boiled for a number of day-to-day uses including:
- Drinking;
- Drinks made with water;
- Preparation of salads and similar foods, which are not cooked before eating;
- Brushing teeth;
- Making ice;
- Preparing formula feeds for babies.
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Boiled water notice lifted for Roscommon residents after two years
Environment Minister Alan Kelly said correcting the problems with supplies in Roscommon would not have been possible without the creation of Irish Water.
“Irish Water was able to target and prioritise these vulnerable areas and bring to a close the sorry saga of boil water notices in quick fashion. I have no doubt that similar successes will be replicated throughout the country,” he said.
Benny O’Connell of Benny’s Deli in Castlerea spent about €1,000 on a filtration system in his shop last year in order to use tap water and he has no plans to take it out after years of warnings.
“The news won’t have much impact on us, but I’m delighted,” he said.
“In the short term we’ll keep our own system. It was a substantial investment in the middle of a recession and it was money we could have done without spending.”
As part of €26.8m being spent on upgrading water treatment in Roscommon, 6,000 people in Boyle were given the all-clear from boil water notices after repair work finished last December and another 5,400 people in towns and villages in the north-east of the county will have a temporary fix in place by the end of the year.
A permanent fix for Strokestown, Elphin, Roosky and Termonbarry and nearby areas will be finished by 2017.
Plants supplying the 11,300 people homes and businesses in the Killeglan and Castlerea areas have passed a series of environmental inspection tests since March.
Irish Water said three other new water treatment plants at Lisbrock in south Roscommon, Ballinagard serving Roscommon town and Ballyfarnon serving Arigna will be supplying water in the coming months.
