Boil water notice lifted for Bellaghy
FOLLOWING consultation with the HSE, Irish Water, working in partnership with Sligo County Council, have advised that the boil water notice for the area supplied by the Lough Talt Public Water Supply will remain in place.
However, the boil water notice is no longer in effect in the Bellaghy area following the reinstatement of a connection between the Lough Talt and Charlestown public water supplies to allow the Bellaghy area be supplied from the Charlestown public water supply.
Approximately 450 customers will be removed from the boil water notice in Bellaghy, Sandyhill, Cloonaughill, Cully and the southern 80% part of Bunnacrannagh, Brackloonagh, Brogher, Lissard, and Curryfuel.
All customers in the Bunnacrannagh area who will be removed from the boil notice will have received notification via leaflet drop to advise their supply will transfer to the Charlestown public water supply.
The remaining customers in Bunnacrannagh and the other areas supplied from Lough Talt should continue to boil their water before use.
The boil water notice was put in place on Friday, January 11, following a detection of cryptosporidium during routine sampling at the water treatment plant. A population of approximately 13,000 people are affected, including the towns of Tubbercurry and Ballymote and a large rural hinterland including the villages of Annagh, Aclare, Bellaghy, Curry, Lavagh, Ballanacarrow, Carrowneden, Kilmacteige and Coolaney.
The boil water notice also includes consumers supplied by the Ogham Group Water Scheme and the following areas in Co. Mayo - Cloontia, Doocastle and Quarryfield.
The level of treatment currently provided at the Lough Talt water treatment plant does not provide adequate protection against cryptosporidium. Irish Water is advising customers that in the absence of a validated cryptosporidium barrier there is a risk their supply is contaminated with cryptosporidium.
Irish Water made a planning application to Sligo County Council in May 2018 seeking permission for an upgraded treatment plant. As requested by Sligo County Council, as part of its assessment of the application, Irish Water submitted further information to the council in December 2018.
A decision by Sligo County Council on the planning application is subject to a statutory process and involves complex environmental assessments and statutory consultee engagement. Irish Water awaits the outcome of this statutory process.
The Lough Talt supply is currently on the EPA’s Remedial Action List (RAL) for both cryptosporidium and THM risk. The emergency plant is to be built on the existing site and Irish Water has lodged the revised planning application with Sligo County Council on May 28.
Anthony Skeffington, Irish Water, said: “We fully recognise the disruption and inconvenience caused to customers and would like to assure the public that we are working as a matter of priority to restore a safe and compliant water supply as quickly as possible, in consultation with the HSE.
“Public health is our number one priority and ultimately our aim is to provide compliant and robust water treatment for the 13,000 people who are supplied by the Lough Talt public water supply in the shortest possible time and that is where our attentions are focused.”
A map of the scheme is available on the Irish Water and Sligo County Council’s websites.
Further information and additional advice for customers on the boil water notice is available by calling Irish Water’s 24-hour customer care helpline on 1850 278 278, billing enquiries on 1850 778 778.