The Government is being asked to compensate residents in Co Cork for what is believed to be the longest boil water notice in the country.
More than 10,000 households have been impacted by the boil water notice which has been in place — almost continously — for the last eight years on the Whitegate Regional Water Supply Scheme.
It will take another two years before Uisce Éireann has a €22m replacement scheme in place, which would allow the boil water notice to be lifted.
Those impacted live in Aghada, Churchtown, Ballycotton, Saleen, Shanagarry, Ballinacurra, Castleredmond in Midleton, and in parts of Cloyne. Householders in these areas have to use bottled water for drinking, brushing their teeth, and preparing food and babies’ bottles.
Cork County Council officials are to write to the Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien asking they provide financial compensation for residents impacted by the prolonged notices.
In addition, officials will also ask the two ministers to ensure the residents are provided with water tankers for the refilling of clean water until the new treatment plant — which is currently under construction — is operational.
The motion was proposed at a meeting of the East Cork Municipal District Council by Social Democrats councillor Liam Quaide.
“The prolonged saga of boiled water notices on the Whitegate supply has over time become a significant quality-of–life issue and a chronic nuisance for affected residents. As far as I’m aware, it’s the longest boiled water notice in the country,” Mr Quaide said.
While residents are conscious that there is a definitive solution to the problem, it is still two years away, he said.
“In the meantime, they will continue to face enormous, continued hassle and inconvenience. I have spoken to residents with large families who have very significant, cumulative financial costs buying in large volumes of water every week,” he said.
According to Mr Quaide, there’s “widespread discontent and frustration” among residents with regard to the how long the boil water notices have been in place, and the lack of any compensatory measures by Uisce Éireann.
Councilllors previously appealed to the utility to provide some level of financial aid to affected residents, but Uisce Éireann declined.
“At that stage, it was not foreseen that the boiled water notices then in place would persist continuously over such a very long period of time.
“I think we should make that request again – this time to the responsible ministries as we’re now more than likely facing a continuous notice until the completion of the new plant,” Mr Quaide said.
Fine Gael councillor Rory Cocking said he was happy to lend his support as they saga had been going on far too long.
“It has had a very costly impact on thousands of households,” added Fianna Fáil councillor Ann Marie Ahern.
