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Kilkee Beach, Co Clare.

  • 31-07-2017 2:51pm
    #1
    knockon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 522 ✭✭✭


    Kilkee beach has been closed to bathing since Wed 28th July as a brand new sewage pumping system that took 5 months to install, failed and contaminated Victoria Stream and consequently the beach and bathing water.

    I just have a few questions...


    • How can a purpose designed and built pumping system that has taken 5 months to install (beach was closed between November and June as well) fail so spectacularly so soon after its commissioning?
    • Why was there no warning system in place to alert an on-call engineer that the pump station had failed?
    • Why, especially given the proximity to the Kilkee Reefs Special Area of Conservation, and the potential for pollution to this EU protected area was there not a back-up system in place?
    • According to local sources within I.W the capacity for the pump to deliver under pressure was seriously compromised due to the quality of the electricity supply to the new system, why was this not identified sooner in the design process and dealt with appropriately? 


Comments

  • #2
    Irish Water: Louise
    Company Representative Posts: 174 Verified rep ✭Irish Water: Louise


    Hi knockon,

    Thanks for your message.

    Irish Water carried out a routine health and safety audit of the Kilkee Pump Station, which is over 40 years old, in November 2016. A number of issues were identified in particular the surge vessels were found to be in need of upgrading.

    Due to the complex nature of these works some elements have been completed but the full programme of works will take a couple of more months to be finalised. In December 2016 there was an issue with a storm rising main at the station which burst. As a result, a precautionary do not swim notice was imposed on the beach. While works continue to upgrade the pump station, the notice was lifted in consultation with the HSE and Clare County Council in May of this year.

    Due to operational electrical issues in the Kilkee Pump Station early on Wednesday morning last week, July 26, this caused the pumps to be out of service for a number of hours. This led to a discharge of wastewater to the Victoria stream in Kilkee for a period of time. The HSE and the EPA were notified and a precautionary bathing prohibition notice was put in place by the HSE for Kilkee beach to protect public health.

    The pump station resumed operations at 11am on Wednesday but the bathing restriction remained in place until today to allow for a sampling programme. This issue has been resolved and the pump station is fully operational. Irish Water confirm that from 11am on Wednesday, July 26, no further discharges arising from this incident have taken place in Kilkee. Bacterial bathing water testing undertaken by Clare County Council has demonstrated that the bacterial water quality has been restored in the Kilkee area.

    Both Irish Water and Clare County Council are aware of electrical issues at the Kilkee Pump Station. These are being addressed with the ESB as part of the ongoing upgrade works. An old generator, over 30 years old, which was in extremely poor condition, was taken off site in May to see if it could be refurbished. However, this was not possible and the procurement process to purchase a new generator commenced. An order to purchase will be issued in the next couple of days. A temporary generator has been in place since last Friday, July 28 and is fully operational. The pump station has been manned on a 24-hour basis since last Thursday night. The temporary generator will remain in place until the permanent generator is installed.

    Irish Water has welcomed the announcement that the HSE, working in conjunction with Clare County Council, have lifted the bathing water prohibition notice that was issued on Kilkee Beach in Co Clare on 31 July.

    The revised bathing water prohibition notice was issued following excess rainfall over the weekend which gave rise to a concern that elevated levels of bacteria could be present in the bathing water. Following testing of the water yesterday the bathing water notice was lifted today. This comes after the lifting of a separate precautionary bathing prohibition notice that was issued on the beach last Wednesday and which was removed following a successful sampling programme which was completed on Monday morning.

    We hope this information helps. If you have any further queries, please let us know.

    Kind regards,
    Louise


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