COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE (1)
Monday, March 15, 2010
MOTION NO. 7
MOTION: Councillor D. Looney
That this Committee acknowledges both the work carried out by Council staff with regard to water supply problems experienced since the beginning of 2010, and the inconvenience and, in some cases, hardship experienced by residents in this area due to these issues. This Committee requests that, in the interests of future planning and information, the Manager provide a report on the affect of the water shortages broken down by area, showing which estates have suffered the most significant problems.
REPORT:
Water restrictions in South Dublin County Council were first introduced at 11 am on Monday, the 11th January 2010, on the outlet pipes at Belgard Reservoir which were almost dry at that stage. The areas restricted were Lucan, Palmerstown, Clondalkin, Kingswood, Kilnamanagh, Tallaght Village, Millbrook, Balrothery, Red Cow, Ballymount, Walkinstown, Perrystown and Templeogue. These restrictions were further tightened at 11pm to the same areas before being lifted at 6am on the morning of 12th February 2010. Water was slow to return to Millbrook Lawns, Tallaght and parts of Templeogue (Orwell, Templeville & Whitehall Road) and Walkinstown.
The valves on the outlet pipes from Belgard Reservoir were partially throttled at 3pm on Tuesday 12th January 2010, as the reservoir was almost empty again and fully throttled at 9pm until 6am on the morning of the 13th February 2010. The same areas as the first day were affected but water returned to all areas much quicker because of adjustments to drinking water network undertaken the previous day. The duration of the water restrictions were eased for the next two days with the outlet valves at Belgard Reservoir not closed until 11pm at night on 13th and 14th February 2010 and reopened at 6am in the morning of the 14th and 15th February with the same limited area of South Dublin County Council as above being affected.
As it was obvious from looking at the drinking water consumption figures for the county that the Council were saving very little water from these limited shutdowns and that the restrictions were affecting the same areas of the county every night, it was decided to curtail the drinking water supply to all parts of the county and for longer durations. From the afternoon of the 15th January 2010, a regime of closing valves at 7pm in the evening until 7am the next morning was introduced for the whole county. Areas across the south of the county which had not been affected by the restriction up until now were drawn in. Areas like Athgoe, Rathcoole, Newcastle, Saggart, Citywest, Jobstown, Killinardan, Oldbawn, Firhouse, Knocklyon, Ballyboden, Willbrook, Rathfarnham and Whitechuch. Parts of Lucan too not affected up until now were also drawn in i.e.Adamstown, Hillcrest and Lucan Village.
The 7pm to 7am restrictions were eased slightly from the afternoon of Monday, 25th January 2010 to 8pm shut down to 6am opening of valves in the morning. It was discovered by management that two areas of Tallaght had been overlooked in the shut down regime and these areas, Fettercairn and Springfield, were added to the restrictions on the afternoon of the 20th January 2010.
As the Dublin Regional Storage figures were improving and the need to give the Water Maintenance personnel a break for their own welfare after continuous night time duties, it was decided to lift all restriction over the weekend of the 30th/31st of January 2010.
With the restrictions lifted, water consumption in the South Dublin area over this weekend increased dramatically with consumption well above the monthly average of 72 Ml for this time of the year with consumption reaching almost 75 Ml on Saturday, 30th January 2010.
Faced with the Regional Storage figures which had been rising slowly for weeks stalling and going into reverse ie declining and the obvious fact that people in the SDCC area were not conserving water as SDCC leakages
figures are one of the lowest in the country and all burst watermains were being fixed immediately as they were reported and found, it was decided that water restrictions would have to be reintroduced again.
From the afternoon of Tuesday, 2nd February 2010, it was decided to reintroduce drinking water restrictions to the County dividing the county into four areas and turning off one of these four areas each night on a rotating basis.
The first area off from 8pm in the evening until 6am in the morning was the Palmerstown, Ballymount, Tallaght Village, Perrystown and Templeogue area which was turned off again on the night of the 6/7th of February.
The second area turned off was the Rathfarnham, Firhouse, Knocklyon and Ballycullen area on the night of 3rd/4th of February and again on the night of the 7/8th of February. The third area turned off on the night of 4/5th of February was the Rathcoole, Newcastle and West Tallaght area. The fourth area turned off on the night of the 5/6th of February was the Lucan and North Clondalkin area.
These four areas continued to be shut off between 8pm and 6am on a rota basis to conserve drinking water for the whole of February while the Regional Storage was increased to acceptable levels and essential maintenance
was carried out on the filters in the Ballymore Treatment Plant. All restrictions were lifted on Friday, the 26th February 2010, and initial observations would seem to suggest that people have heeded our requests to conserve water as the South Dublin County Council daily water usage figures are below the average for this time of the year.