€7.1m scheme lets Lough Mask waters flow into Westport

Allergan MD welcomes ‘certainty of supply’ with €7.1m Lough Mask scheme extension


Neill O’Neill

ALMOST 30 years after the Lough Mask Regional Water Supply Scheme first began providing water for Mayo, Westport looks set to finally get connected, with the announcement last week of €7.1 million in Government funding to complete the Srah to Westport extension.
The need for a new water source in Westport has long been evident, and under this scheme the town’s growing demand for water should be met by 2015, with an estimated start date on construction, of early next year. The works will involve the laying of 23 kilometres of watermain and the building of a 4,000 cubic metre reservoir - likely at Farnaught, three kilometres outside the town. When completed, the project will greatly improve the water supply in Westport and the surrounding area and will also involve connecting the Ayle and Cushin Group Water Scheme to the Lough Mask Regional Water Scheme.  
With a massive $350 million Allergan expansion now officially under way, the need for increased water supply to service the factory was essential, something alluded to last week by Environment Minister Phil Hogan.

Cater for expansion
Speaking to The Mayo News, Managing Director of Allergan Ireland, Pat O’Donnell, said the certainty of supply was a safeguard for everybody in the local community, and would cater for Allergan’s expansion and requirements into the future - with water being absolutely essential to the plant’s production capabilities.
“At Allergan we continue to expand and we have started work on the construction of our new state-of-the-art biologics facility which will create additional demand for water in the years ahead,” he said.
“We are pleased that funding has been approved for the Srah to Westport extension of the Lough Mask Regional Water Supply Scheme, as the approval of the scheme will create certainty of supply for everybody in the local community.”
Aside from the town’s main industry, the new water infrastructure will also greatly enhance supply for residents, and other businesses, particularly hotels and others in the tourism and agriculture industries.
‘Vitally important’
Welcoming the news last week, local Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring TD, explained that he had been ‘raising this matter for years and consistently worked on it’.
“I delivered in 1995-1997 on the Westport to Clonkeen Scheme and I am delighted to complete the project with this approval. When members of other parties talked about it, I delivered it like I did with the Sewerage Scheme in Westport. This project is vitally important to a town like Westport and as Minister Hogan outlined it will support economic growth and facilitate new development, while also preserving environmental and water quality standards.”
Minister Hogan reiterated that the scheme ‘represents the most sustainable solution to meet the short to medium term demand increase, particularly to support the job creation by Allergan in the town’.
Mayo County Council confirmed in a statement that they have received approval from the Minister to seek tenders for the construction of the Srah to Westport extension, with County Manager, Peter Hynes, pointing out the ‘enormous economic, tourism and environmental benefits for everyone living and working in the Westport area’.
Thanking all of the council’s Water Services staff for bringing the project to fruition, he stated that this is the type of sustainable investment which Mayo County Council continues to seek in order to advance the interests of this County. He added that in time it will also facilitate the extension of the Lough Mask scheme to the west of the county, as there has long been lobbying to extend the water main through Murrisk and Lecanvey and into Louisburgh.
Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Councillor Cyril Burke, lauded the success of Mayo County Council in obtaining approval to seek tenders for the extension, and said it demonstrates the excellent working relationship which exists between the local authority and various Government departments.
It is expected that tenders will be obtained in October 2013 and construction will commence in early 2014 and work will be completed in 2015.