550 sign petition calling for change to the water supply
By Maurice Garvey
UP TO 550 people have signed a petition calling for Irish Water to switch Clondalkin’s water supply back to Ballymore Eustace Water Treatment Plant.
Residents in the area have been complaining about the change of water from soft to hard, in the aftermath of storm Emma.
Lucan, Clondalkin and Palmerstown were previously supplied with a blend of water from plants in Leixlip and Ballymore, but a larger proportion of the water is now supplied from Leixlip.
During Storm Emma, Irish Water say they increased the supply of water to areas of South Dublin (Lucan and Palmerstown) from the Leixlip water treatment plant, to “ensure customers have a consistent supply of water”.
Hundreds of residents complained on the Clondalkin Neighborhood Watch page this week that the water now looks and tastes awful.
As of Wednesday evening, 550 had signed an Uplift petition calling for Irish Water to switch back to the Ballymore supply for Clondalkin.
Councillor Francis Timmons supports the petition and urges people to have their say.
He said: “Many people reported an unpleasant taste of their water, to undrinkable water, and lime scale and damage to their kettle. Some have to resort to buying bottled water which is an additional cost to families. Irish Water must immediately address resident concerns.”
Irish Water say water quality from the Leixlip Water Treatment Plant is of an excellent standard and complies with all drinking water regulations.
“The two supply sources have different characteristics with Leixlip water being hard, compared to Ballymore Eustace, due to its higher mineral content. As a result some customers may find that their water tastes differently but they should not be concerned.”
They said residents were notified through media, elected representatives and via the Irish Water website at the time of the switch.
Details on the petition can be found HERE.
