Tipperary’s water supply 'is in chaos and needs urgent addressing', says TD

Independent TD Mattie McGrath has highlighted the issues facing county Tipperary’s water supply, describing the situation as “chaotic.”

The delays with Irish Water’s Small Towns and Villages Group programme has been underdeveloped due to a lack of investment, he says.

Deputy McGrath described the situation in Tipperary of frequent boil water notices throughout the county as both a source of pollution and disruption for the county.

Deputy McGrath said:

“The Small Towns and Villages Group programme, which Irish Water plans to develop, is in a chaotic state in Tipperary. Seven villages on this list are waiting for investment. Lack of development in wastewater treatment plants is holding up development and is also causing huge pollution.

“The EPA and everyone else is ignoring it totally.

"There have been boil water notices all summer, such as the Galtee Regional Water scheme’s supply being regularly disrupted and the whole town of Carrick-on-Suir continually left without clean water on a regular basis. The 25,000 residents of Clonmel have been contending with a boil water notice every second week.

“Businesses and households having to put up with constant boil water notices is a shocking situation. We also have the situation of the privatisation of Irish Water, a fiasco, and I want to salute the council workers, plumbers, caretakers and staff now being forced over to Irish Water.

“They joined the county council and want to continue doing that and the unions are now waking up and finally letting on to be representing their members. We are taking the power away from the local officials.”