After many years of poor water quality and on-going campaigning the signing of the contract for the first phase of the Costelloe Regional Water Supply Scheme will be a cause of celebration for the people of Carraroe and surrounding areas, that is according to Independent county councillor Seosamh Ó Cuaig.
Cllr Ó Cuaig, a long-time campaigner of the scheme, yesterday welcomed the announcement by Minister for the Environment, Community, and Local Government, Phil Hogan, that he has approved funding to enable the Galway County Council to accept the tender of €2.49 million submitted by Ballinasloe based MEIC Ltd to carry out the works. Cllr Ó Cuaig added that the day the contract is officially signed will be a “day of joy” for the people of Carraroe, Cashla, and Rosmuc who have had a “long struggle” to get this scheme off the ground.
“The bottom line is that the contract has not been signed yet but they seem very near to it now. I feel confident it will happen. This is the first part of the scheme, laying down the pipe work, and if the pipes are laid the rest will follow. The second part of the scheme will be going out to tender in the summer, and involves the building of the reservoirs at Carraroe and Rosmuc, and other works on the Glenicmurrin lake.”
“It has been a long campaign. On July 4, 2001, we organised a bus load, a group of 60 people, to go up to Dáil Éireann to highlight this issue. It was raised the next day in the Dáil by President Michael D Higgins who recalled how 20 years before a man in Carraroe, the film maker Bob Quinn, had sent him a specimen of the water. So it is going on for a long time,” said Cllr Ó Cuaig.
Announcing the funding yesterday Minister Hogan said: “This vitally important project which is being funded under my Department’s Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013, as a contract to commence construction during the period of that programme, involves the construction of two reservoirs at Rosmuc and Glenmore in Carraroe, Co Galway, and the carrying out of 7.5km of pipeline works in the Carraroe, Cashla, and Rosmuc area.
“The proposed scheme will ensure that consumers in these areas of Co Galway will have a high quality water supply that is compliant with drinking water standards and which will have the capacity to meet current and future needs.”
Minister Hogan concluded: “My approval of the necessary funding today allows Galway County Council complete the contract formalities with the successful tenderer so that the works can start as soon as possible.”
Also welcoming the announcement was Galway West Fine Gael TD Seán Kyne who said the scheme “is crucial to ensure a high quality water supply for the communities of South West Connemara”. He added that the scheme is “being constructed in a manner which meets current demand but also future additional demand”.
