Ballivor water outage chaos

Ongoing water issues in Ballivor recentlhy came to a head when homes and businesses around the village were left without water during the hottest week of the year, while pupils in the local national school were sent home after tanks ran dry.

Residents have been venting their frustrations over low pressure, regular outages and poor water quality for many years and last week parts of the village were without water for up to four days as temperatures soared. No drinking water was provided and many locals had to rely on buying bottled water to stay hydrated.

Pupils at St Columbanus NS in Ballivor who had to be sent home when a school ran out of water in the searing heat on Wednesday, 27th May remained home again the next day due to insufficient water supplies.

A power outage meant residents were left without water again on the Bank Holiday weekend.

Residents say issues with their water supply have been ongoing for years whatever the weather.

Local resident and parent Eileen Yates said: “Once the water is gone, it's gone for most of the estates in the village. We were told by Uisce Eireann in 2021 that work would be starting on upgrading the water treatment plant and storage tank but nothing has happened.

“In 2024, we were told that it would be completed by 2027. We are halfway through 2026 and works haven't even started.

“Every day, a private company comes with a water tanker to top up the tank but the tank itself only has a three hour storage capacity according to UE.

“If there is a fire in the village, how will the fire brigade know if there's water in the mains to extinguish it. The last time it happened, the fire services had to wait for a tanker - thankfully, that building was derelict and not a family home.”

She also told how she has had to replace two washing machines, a shower, three taps, a dishwasher and the valves in the toilets due to damage.

Another resident, Clare O'Mara said: “Like all villages, there are babies, elderly and vulnerable who need access to daily water. We should not be out of pocket in buying water to flush our toilets or just to have a drink. “

“This seems to be an Irish answer to an Irish problem, in sending out water tankers most days for the last number of years. There are now new homes in the village adding to the pressure on the existing water system. It's just ridiculous,” added Deborah Moore

In a statement, Uisce Eireann said: “We recognise that customers in the area have experienced issues in recent times, including low pressure and intermittent outages. While local sources continue to produce water, the amount reaching the water tower has at times been lower than expected, which can affect pressure locally. To support supplies, extra water is being tankered in from Navan on a regular basis to help maintain levels in Ballivor. Additional works are also planned to clean and improve the local storage and upgrade the infrastructure supplying the water tower, which will further improve resilience in the area.

“As part of our ongoing work to better understand and resolve the issue, additional network monitors are being installed across the network. This will help us track water flows and pressure more closely and ensure we have a clear picture of what is happening on the ground. To better monitor the situation at the school, we are installing pressure loggers today to provide accurate information. We have also carried out checks on the school’s hydrant, which has confirmed that water is present in the system.

When pushed about timelines on the planned works, a spokesperson said: “Upgrade works are planned for Ballivor, including a treated water storage upgrade. Our contractor will commence compound set up in the week commencing 8th June, with the main upgrade works due to begin in week commencing 22nd June. Water mains improvement works are also being planned and, once Uisce Éireann obtains the required licence for these works to proceed, we will advise customers of the timeline.”

Businesses are also bearing the brunt of the inadequate supply. Brendan Bagnall who runs the local post office, cafe and laundrette expressed his frustration at the ongoing water issues in the village.

“We have been here for 20 years and in reality, it has been an issue for 20 years. Between the quality with the limescale, with being a landlord as well as a business owner, I am constantly replacing cylinders and washing machines in the apartments.”

He also has a dry cleaners and laundrette business which cannot operate when the water pressure is low.

To keep the business going during the most recent water outage, Brendan, who lives outside the village, filled up five litre drums at home every day and brought them in to the shop to keep their boilers, coffee machines and hand washing facilities going.

“I had to turn away customer from the laundrette. The washing machines shut down straight away as it is a high volume machine. If the pressure is low we can't use it or it damages the machine so it is a lost of income and a loss of service every time the water pressure is low”. He also pointed out business owners pay for every drop of water they use.

Martina O'Sullivan who runs the local Halo Hair Salon said: “You could have water in the morning, put a colour in someone's hair and next thing there is no water to wash it out. It is that sudden. There is no warning. It is a nightmare.”

Speaking last Friday, Gerry Dempsey who owns the local filling station said the water pressure dropped a lot on the Thursday but they still had water. He did however, turn off their car washes to conserve water so they were at the loss of that business.

He said people were very annoyed and frustrated and rightly so especially with the local school having to close.

Meanwhile local indepedendent councillor Noel French said: “I have been chasing the issue of water supply for ten years. It is crazy to think tankers are bringing water from Trim and Navan to Ballivor.

“Irish Water are not providing anything close to an adequate supply in Ballivor.”