Ballyconnell €5m water scheme proceeds

'I can confirm that Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr. John Gormley, T.D. has instructed Cavan County Council to move to stage one works and that total estimated cost of the scheme will be just under €5 million,' he said. The scheme is designed to meet demand for the next 25 years. It involves new source development at Lough Cuillaghan, a new water treatment works, almost 18km of pipelines and two new storage reservoirs at Mullaghduff. 'It reflects the commitment in the Programme for Government that all our public drinking water supplies will deliver a reliable service that is 100% compliant with drinking water standards and will greatly improve the quality and reliability of the service for Ballyconnell residents,' said Cllr. Smith. Cavan County Council will now be able to draw up contract documents for the scheme as a whole and to seek tenders as soon as possible for the stage one works. 'These latter works can proceed to construction without the need for further approvals from the Department. The stage one works will ensure that safety and security of supply issues identified by the EPA in relation to the Ballyconnell supply are addressed and resolved without delay,' concluded Cllr. Smith.