Services for Persons with a DisabilityGood News on Water in Galway City
16 February 2010Galway City Council had good news this week when two long term issues regarding the water supply in the city were finally put to bed. The City Council got the all-clear from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in relation to the lead contamination issue as a consequence of measures put in place since the 2007 cryptosporidium outbreak. This has allowed the council to address the water needs of the city over the next 20 years.
"Galway City is self-sufficient in water due to the recent upgrade of the Terryland Water Treatment Plant," said Ciarán Hayes, Director of Services at Galway City Council. Both the short and medium-term plans that were put in place after the cryptosporidium outbreak have now been completed. "Galway City Council now produces 48,000 m3 of high quality water per day, which is sufficient to meet the needs of the City and parts of Galway County ," he says and he confirmed that it was this extra capacity that helped the City cope with the recent severe weather when many other cities were experiencing water shortages.
"Now that the short and medium-term plans are finished, the City Council's attention is focussed on the long-term need of the City and parts of the County. The appointment of Ryan Hanley - Consulting Engineers allows us to examine the City's future water requirements over the next 20 years", he says, explaining that the work will include a new water intake location and a possible further upgrade of the Terryland Plant to increase production up to 80,000 m3 per day.
This is further good news for the City water supply, which also received closure to the recent lead contamination issue from the EPA. "Significant progress was made on the lead contamination issue in a short space of time and this was due in large measure to the work of Councillors and Residents Associations on the ground in replacing private lead service pipes. The EPA is satisfied with the progress and has formally closed its file on this matter", Ciarán Hayes said.