COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF LUCAN/PALMERSTOWN/FONTHILL AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

MOTION NO. 5

MOTION: Councillor Alan Hayes

Given the repeated invitations to meet this committee to discuss the hard water situation affecting thousands of homes in the constituency, the two boil water notices issued from Leixlip plant and the mixed messages received as to whether or not the boil water notice was lifted or not after the second event.

That the Lucan/Palmerstown/Fonthill area committee has no confidence in Irish Water.

REPORT:

Irish Water were requested to provide a response to this motion, and have responded as below:

The water supply in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) comes from a number of different Water Treatment Plants, primarily the Liffey plants at Leixlip Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and Ballymore Eustace WTP. The water balance between the two is a function of the supply demand balance from time to time and is managed on a daily basis.

Following network reconfiguration, areas in South Dublin County Council are now being supplied from Ballymore Eustace. The management of the network is under constant review and reconfigurations of the network can be required to sustain supply. As outlined before, hard water is naturally occurring and is fully consistent with safe drinking water.

Irish Water’s drinking water and operational experts worked with our colleagues in Fingal County Council and in consultation with the HSE and the EPA to resolve the Boil Water Notice as quickly as possible. Irish Water's primary focus is and always will be the protection of public health and the Boil Water Notice was lifted as soon as it was safe to do so.

Irish Water contacted all elected representatives directly through our Local Representative Support Desk on Tuesday, 12th November to advise them that the Boil Water Notice was lifted. The lifting of the Boil Water Notice was also communicated through the media and through Irish Water’s social media channels.

Irish Water has scheduled a Councillor Clinic for South Dublin County Council for 1.30pm on Monday, 9th December. Councillors can submit any specific queries they have to our dedicated Local Representative Support Desk, which can be contacted Monday – Friday from 9am to 5.30pm.

Irish Water recognises the significant impact this Boil Water Notice had on your constituents, and would again like to apologise.