Five leaks in two weeks and no fix: South Leitrim’s water supply crisis deepens

Leitrim County Council will be meeting with representatives from Uisce Éireann on September 8 to address ongoing issues with water supply and shortages across the country, particularly in the South Leitrim area.

Just this week, several significant leaks occurred in the Cloone and Aghavas area, affecting customers in Carrigallen, Newtowngore, Corrawallen, and surrounding areas, as well as another leak affecting Coraleehan, Bornacoola, Cornageeha, and Killyvehy.

Customers on the Keshcarrigan-Fenagh-Ballinamore line are continually experiencing water outages and lack of supply, with advice from Uisce Éireann repeatedly being to conserve water, a difficult task during the recent dry, hot weather spells.

Fianna Fáil Councillor Gary Prior, who serves the Ballinamore Municipal District, has expressed frustration over the constant issues with water in the area, stressing that answers need to be delivered at the September 8 meeting.

“The main problem is from Keshcarrigan to Fenagh to Ballinamore. A pipeline there needs to be upgraded for a couple of kilometres, and it’s going to take some time,” said Cllr Prior. “We’re seeking answers to see when that will be upgraded.”

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Cllr Prior noted that there are pipes in the ground on that line that are 40 years old, and infrastructure urgently needs to be replaced. “With the dry spell now there’s a bigger draw on the reservoir with people using water, and when the pressure comes on the line it doesn’t hold,” he explained.

The outages are frustrating for households and everyday users, but they are also placing businesses in a very difficult position. There are a number of businesses in the area, such as in Ballinamore, like hairdressing salons, bars, and restaurants, that rely on a constant water supply to operate.

“If they don’t have water they can’t open, it's as simple as that. It’s a massive concern and frustration for businesses at the moment. They’re all paying their rates and they’re not getting the services they require,” said Cllr Prior.

The lines are failing, and this is an issue that needs to be addressed. Uisce Éireann is aware of the problem, but there is no clear timeline for when it will be fixed. Installing a new pipe, including design and construction, could take approximately 12 months, which is unacceptable for the many who are dealing with recurring water supply issues.

“Over a two-week period we’ve had five leaks in the Ballinamore-Keshcarrigan line,” Cllr Prior said. He explained that this causes a domino effect, as when the water stops coming into the reservoir at Ballinamore, areas like Coraleehan, Aughawillan, and Cloone are also affected.

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The water that serves the Ballinamore area and surrounding parishes comes from the water facility in Carrick-on-Shannon, and Cllr Prior says the capacity of that facility also needs to be increased.

As of August 15, Uisce Éireann’s supply and service updates indicate that works were completed on August 14 in places that experienced supply disruptions, but there is no telling how soon it could happen again, and again, until the root cause is resolved.