Uisce Éireann progressing measures to improve water supply resilience for customers in Clonard

Uisce Éireann has announced that it is progressing a range of short, medium and long-term measures to improve water supply resilience for customers in Clonard served by the Abbeyfields Water Treatment Plant.

For more than two decades, residents of Abbeyfields and Meadowview have endured ongoing issues with their water supply with intermittent supply and low pressure

Abbeyfields resident Vijay Gangarh said he has lived in Clonard for 25 years and they have never had a stable water supply and the temporary repairs that are done by Uisce Eireann are only "band aids" with a long term solution needed.

Uisce Eireann says, as an immediate priority, it is advancing resilience measures at the Abbeyfields Water Treatment Plant to help reduce the risk of supply interruptions for customers and plans are progressing to install additional water storage infrastructure at the existing treatment plant on-site. This will provide a buffer to water supply during periods of peak demand or operational challenges, helping to reduce the likelihood of outages on the public water network.

Once installed, the additional storage tanks can be commissioned and brought into operation within a matter of days. These works are progressing as a priority and expected to be completed within months but are subject to supply chain constraints.

Uisce Eireann also said that it is assessing the delivery of a containerised treatment solution on site, in advance of construction of a new treatment plant.

The interim solution would require several enabling works, including securing land access; the provision of power supply or generators; the installation of pipework connecting the trial well to the public water network; and the completion of treatment plant installation and commissioning.

The long-term solution for Clonard remains the construction of a new permanent water treatment plant at the location of the trial well, followed by the decommissioning of the existing Abbeyfields Water Treatment Plant.

According to Uisce Eireann, the development of a new deeper borehole source, and the delivery of a new treatment plant involves a multi-stage process, including design development, land purchases, planning, procurement, construction and commissioning, admitting that it will take a number of years to deliver.

Local resident Liz Behan said there is “nothing to be hopeful about” in the latest announcement pointing out that there is still no commitment on time frame and or budget. She added that it feels like they are “recycling old plans”.

Liz has also highlighted that the pumphouse at Abbeyfields was designed to serve 15 houses but is now serving over 400 as well as the local national school.

“At one stage we went 13 days straight with no water. We also had no water on Christmas Day or St Stephen's Day last year,” she said.