OPINION: Why are water services so poor in Tipperary?

Tipperary is known for its beautiful rivers and lakes that can be seen all over the large county, but even with an abundance of this natural resource, many towns struggle with water quality and supply issues, issues that have been exacerbated in recent weeks.

These issues are not just unique to Tipperary and they can be found in any other county in Ireland.

One reason why public water infrastructures are so poor is because of their age. Many towns across Ireland still rely on old water and wastewater systems built decades ago.

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Rural supply schemes are particularly bad across Ireland as they often have fewer backup sources if things go wrong.

One astonishing figure released this week is that over 38,000 people in Tipperary currently have boil water notices in their homes or workplaces.

The longest notice is for the Ardfinnan Treatment Plant impacting Goatenbridge, Cahir, Newcastle, Poulmucka, Clerihan and surrounding areas, which has been on a boil water notice since early September of this year.

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This is a clear sign that the treatment plants in Tipperary are struggling as their filtration or disinfection systems are not working properly.

In Ardfinnan for example, a burst in one water main reduced water levels and made it harde to treat the water.

One major solution would be to update these water systems so that they run more efficiently, but sadly upgrades like this take years to plan, fund, and build.

With no end in sight for those living in areas affected in Tipperary, many are calling for the government to hold Uisce Éireann to account and to invest in new water infrastructure across the county to prevent these ongoing issues.