Agreement reached on Ayle and Cushin water schemes

Agreement reached on Ayle and Cushin water schemes


Anton McNulty

Irish Water will now fund the upgrade of two group water schemes located outside Westport, and ultimately take them over. The schemes, both of which are operating under a continuous boil-water notice, had recently been told they would have to pay 15 percent of any upgrade works.
At an emergency general meeting of the Ayle and Cushin Group Water Schemes last week,  members were informed that their homes will be connected to the new pipeline from Lough Mask to Westport. They were also told that responsibility for the supply of water will be taken over by Irish Water.
The future of the two schemes was in limbo after their members were recently informed that they would have to shoulder 15 percent of the cost of making the current water supply comply with Drinking Water Regulations. This would equate to approximately €1,143 per house, which the scheme members said would be impossible to pay.
In 2006, the two neighbouring schemes, which supply water to approximately 164 homes, were told that Mayo County Council would take over the schemes and pay 100 percent of the upgrade cost.

Fully funded
SeΡn McGing, Chairman of the Ayle Group Water Scheme told The Mayo News that scheme members met with the council, which acts as an agent of Irish Water, two weeks ago and they now agreed to a fully funded upgrade and takeover.
The intention is to have a plan in place by early spring and begin work in the summer, with connection completed in 18 months. Mr McGing said the community was pleased a resolution had been reached.
“We are happy because we feared we would be forced to pay 15 percent of the cost, which was a big obstacle. We had agreed a plan eight years ago to have it fully funded, but that fell through. Political pressure was the reason for the change of mind this time. It is resolved now, and at least we now know where we are going,” he said.
The Ayle Group Water Scheme was founded in the 1970s and was originally designed to cater for 20 homes, but it now supplies 70 houses.
Under the agreement with Irish Water, all houses along the schemes will be metered and both schemes will act as an agent for Irish Water for the ‘first year or two’ after connection to the Lough Mask supply. Responsibility for the water supply will be then transferred from the two schemes to Irish Water.
Mr McGing said that while there ‘was general acceptance’ among the households, there was some concern over the future price when Irish Water take over.