Mayo village 'like a desert' as water outages persist

The ongoing water situation in Bonniconlon has been described as “atrocious” by a local councillor who said residents are struggling without a reliable supply during the current spell of high temperatures.

Cllr John O’Hara said the area has experienced 23 water outages since Christmas, with the situation worsening over the past three weeks.

He raised the issue at July's meeting of the Ballina Municipal District, where he said the water is off every day of the week, and when it does come back, it is only for short periods of time.

He said the constant outages are causing significant hardship for residents, particularly at a time when access to water is essential for staying cool in the heat and caring for livestock.

“It's every day of the week the water is off, and it's not fair to anyone, and at this time of the year, it's a heartbreak.” With temperatures in Mayo exceeding 27 degrees and a Status Yellow weather warning issued by Met Éireann, Uisce Éireann has asked residents in Achill, Kiltimagh, Foxford and Bonniconlon to be mindful of conserving water.

Cllr O’Hara said the problem relates to the existing, outdated pipe network, which can't cope with the additional pressure being placed on it, and linked the issue to the upcoming Ballina and Lough Talt Water Supply Upgrade Project.

The project will deliver a long-term water supply solution for the Lough Talt support area in South Sligo by extending the Ballina water supply network.

It will include upgrades to the Wherrew raw water intake at Lough Conn and the Lisglennon raw water pumping station. A booster pumping station and treated water reservoir will also be constructed near Bonniconlon.

However, Cllr O’Hara said he had been informed that Bonniconlon cannot “tap off” the main line running from Lough Talt to Ballina due to pressure issues.

“They are putting a pumping station in Drumsheen to bring down the pressure, but we can’t tap off of the main line going out to the reservoir,” he said.

“I am asking for a pipe from that pumping station in Drumsheen down as far as our reservoir.” He said the existing reservoir can only hold a two- or three-hour supply of water, and while Uisce Éireann plans to increase this to 20 hours, he noted this does not address the immediate difficulties facing residents.

“Once that [supply] goes, [the water] goes off until it builds up again, which might be three days because there's air locks and leaks, and then they’re putting more pressure on the pipes to get the water out quicker. Next thing the pipe goes, and it's off for another day or two,” he said.

Cllr O’Hara said vulnerable elderly people, young mothers, local businesses and farmers are among those being affected by the ongoing outages.

“People are wanting a shower, and there’s no water there. It may come back in the middle of the night, and when you wake up in the morning, it's gone,” he said.

“It's like being out in the desert, no water for anyone. It’s every day of the week, and we can't put up with it.” He called on Uisce Éireann to address the issue “once and for all” by installing an additional pipe from the planned booster pumping station at Drumsheen to the Bonniconlon reservoir, which he said would help prevent future outages.

Cllr Annie May Reape said she felt sorry for those struggling in the heat without a reliable water supply.

She asked when the new line from the Ballina and Lough Talt Water Supply Upgrade Project would be in place, warning that without it there will be continued shortages.

“It couldn’t be at a worse time. People are overheating. People can’t shower, the troughs are all empty, there’s no water. We all know that. Coming from rural areas we all know how serious it is,” she said.

Just 24 hours after the municipal meeting, a water outage was affecting approximately 30 homes in Bonniconlon following a mechanical failure at the Cahra Pumping Station.

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.