Forkan calls for generator to prevent water outages in Killasser

A KILTIMAGH-based county councillor has called for a generator to be installed at a water treatment plant in Killasser after locals were left without running water during a recent storm.

Numerous households in the Killasser area were left without water after Storm Isha caused power outages at nearby premises.

Cllr Adrian Forkan said that a lack of a generator in the local water treatment plant meant local people were left without running water during the power outages.

The Fianna Fáil councillor said that the people running the local group water scheme received ‘dogs abuse’ during the outages even though they were unable to resolve the problem.

Cllr Forkan said further disruption to the water supply would be likely in the event of a storm unless a generator was installed at the plant.

He described the group water scheme as ‘one of the biggest’ in the country, covering an area stretching across Charlestown, Foxford and Swinford.

“There was over €1 million spent on the treatment plant… it’s hard to believe in this day and age that there is no generator that could kick in when the power is off,” he said.

“Local lads that run the actual scheme themselves got dogs’ abuse, and they can do nothing about it,” he added. “They can’t get in near the treatment plant. They can’t get in past the gate.”

Cllr Gerry Murray, Cathaoirleach of Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District, said he was ‘astonished’ that there was a generator at a treatment plant in Callow but not in Killasser.

“It’s bad enough being out of power, but being out of water is completely crazy,” Cllr Murray remarked.

Following a request from Cllr Forkan, Mayo County Council is to write to the company who operate the group water scheme to request that they install a backup generator at the treatment plant.

Conrad Harley, Senior Executive Engineer with Mayo County Council, said they could write to the company but said the local authority did not have ‘any control’ over the matter.

Cllr Forkan said that the private entity who operate the plant were receiving €150,000 in revenue from households on the scheme.

“Surely…fifteen [thousand] or twenty-thousand [euro] for a generator isn’t a whole pile,” he added.