Gragan Woods Reservoir and Irish Water

celticjanis

<Personal info removed>
25 February 2019
 
 
We need your help and don't know where else to turn.......
We are part of a mixed water scheme in Ballyvaughan, North Clare, County Clare:
 Irish Water is in charge of filling our group water tank situated  in Gregan Wood Reservoir, Corkscrew Hill from the Lisdoonvarna Extension supply.  After Irish Water fills our tank, our rural water scheme (private), Doonyvarden Group Scheme,  takes over from the tank to the houses and farms. 
 
Our problem is that Irish Water isn't keeping the tank filled.  It's not a result of leakage of the lines on our side of  the tank.  Apparently, the apparatus/system for the "telemetry" is not working and the system is not telling the Lisdoonvarna  Extension Supply that the tank is empty and needs refilling (nor does it tell the system that the water level is going down in order to top the tank up.)
 
As a result, all of us in the Doonyvarden Group Water scheme have been without water for 13 out of the past 17 days from 8 Feb. through today, 25 Feb, 2019.  (We should point out that this is not thje first time this has happened in the past 12 months.)
 
Initially, we were told by the Co. Clare Rural Water office that there had been a power cut overnight on 7 February resulting in the pumps going off and needing to be restarted manually. since the system wasn't "telling" the supply that the tank was empty.   We were then told that there was a further, and longer, power cut on the evening of the 8th and the pumps were off again and needed to be dealt with manually on Saturday the 9th.
They also said we should ring Irish Water (which we have numerous times).   We've also heard that the real problem is the sensors supplied by the subcontractor, Cully Automation.  retained by Irish Water and am told that those sensors have been broken for over three  weeks and neither Irish Water nor Cully has made an effort to repair or replace them. As a result, Clare County Council water workers need to manually intervene to "band aid" the problem.
 
We want to interject here that the Rural Water office at Clare County Council has been very supportive.  However, as this is an Irish Water responsibility, the Rural Water Dept. hands are tied and cannot correct the situation themselves.
 
Because the Doonyvarden tank is not refilling automatically, it continues to drain until the pressure gets too low, or is indeed drained. This affects not only households, but also farmers who need water on their land for their animals.
 
We've contacted Irish Water repeatedly to no avail.  Sure they give us a reference number and tell us they will report the problem.  Subsequent follow up calls have gotten the same response.
 
Finally on Friday, 22 February, the Irish Water website posted a water outage in Doonyvarden / Corkscrew Hill Gragan Wood tank and claimed it would be corrected by 7am Saturday, 23 February  - which it has not.  The report of the problem  was removed from the Irish Water website, I assume that they assumed the problem was fixed  - which it has not. 
 
This has gone on way too long.  This needs to be remedied permanently by IRISH WATER!
 
I'm sure you can understand our frustration and dilemma.   Will you please help us? Thank you.
 
Kind regards,
<personal info removed>
 
 
 

Irish Water: Agata

Hi celticjanis,

Thanks for getting in touch.

A member of the team has responded to you via PM.

Thanks,
Agata