Boil water notice on Mayo island was embarrassing, says councillor

A Mayo councillor has said it is “so embarrassing” that the people of Clare Island had to deal with a boil water notice for four months.  

Uisce Éireann issued the notice last June following the detection of cryptosporidium in the water being supplied to homes and businesses on the island. It was lifted in September, but the 160 inhabitants on the island are still experiencing water outages at times.

Independent Cllr John O’Malley said the situation is "a scandal”.

“It is just an awful situation for these people," Cllr O'Malley told a meeting of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District. "This summer they were boiling water from June until September. Although the water had been cleared of cryptosporidium, they still wouldn’t give the order that the water was clear. Until that happens, the manager in there cannot clear out the reservoir.

“[Uisce Eireann] left them two months when the water was clear and like they were nobodies. The people of Clare Island lost the whole summer because every bit of tourism was lost as everyone was boiling water. It was a scandal.

“It’s not fair to treat these people like that. They’re paying their way the same as everybody else. It’s unacceptable what’s happening on Clare Island, year in, year out. Big areas of the island with no water and having no water, it’s so embarrassing. I know people who have a house in Clare Island and they go in during the summer and it was embarrassing for them when people came to visit.”

The head of the municipal district, Pádraic Walsh, said he would raise the issue with Uisce Éireann.