|
Galway City Council had had good news recently 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 48,000m³ of high quality
water per day, which is sufficient to meet the needs of the
City and parts of Galway County," he added - confirming 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 focused 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 said
- 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 80,000m³ 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.
|
