Uisce Éireann costs a “big stumbling block” for group sewerage schemes

Vincent Dwyer, Head of Finance and Water Services, Leitrim County Council, said at a recent meeting of the local authority that the “big stumbling block with group sewerage schemes in the last round of the programme has been the cost.”
He said that is “particularly driven now by inflation and the connection costs that Uisce Eireann are charging and also the standards that Uisce Eireann are demanding has a basis on which the scheme will be taken in charge.”
He said that for Irish Water to accept a scheme often, “you are using Uisce Eireann contractors and to make a long story short, the costs are becoming prohibitive.”
Mr Dwyer said that under the last programme, a number of schemes throughout the county didn't go through for that reason.
“We are very grateful to see the increase in the allocation in relation to septic tanks and we need to see a similar significant increase in what the department is prepared to fund for group sewerage schemes otherwise, they're no longer feasible,” he said.
He was speaking after Cllr Mary Bohan asked the current position regarding the provision of Group Sewerage Schemes and also the taking over of the same by the Council where necessary.
She said that “monopoly that's given to a particular contractor; I don't think that's fair or equitable in any system. Where's the element of fair competition?”
She recalled how an individual wanted a “connection off the Creevelea/Killargue Group Water Scheme to serve a few houses and farms and the cost that Uisce Eireann put on it was €160,000” and said that a quote from a local registered contractor wasn't “anything like that.”
She said they were going to get just €35,000 of a grant so would have to pay over €100,000 to get the water connection!
“If you can get a proper registered contractor to do the work, why should you have to pay three times that to Uisce Eireann to have one contractor covering Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal. It's a disgrace and not fair in any system,” she said.
Cllr Enda Stenson said it was a “scandal” and “you'd do it for a fraction of what they are talking about.”
Mr Dwyer said that under the current Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme 2019-2021 funding was sought and received for the taking in charge of one group sewerage scheme and the taking in charge process for this scheme is complete.
Three new group sewerage schemes were allocated funding, however none of the three schemes were in a position to proceed as the estimated construction costs of the schemes well exceed the allocated funding.