Lack of communication around water works criticised again

Feargal McKay’s tidy flower boxes are perched on window sills just metres from metal fencing and diggers as a closure of Wolfe Tone Street in Cavan town is extended.

The long running project to replace old water pipes in the town has moved to the narrow, steep thoroughfare but it hasn’t been without disruption and criticism.

Works are being carried out by Farrans, a Northern Irish construction company, on behalf of Irish Water and Cavan County Council.

Feargal moved to the street two years ago from Dublin and says despite the impact of the Covid-19 lockdowns, it was the right decision. But the disruption, and more particularly the lack of communication around the water pipe project, has dampened his spirits in recent weeks, prompting him to engage local representatives in a bid to gain clarity.

“I got on to Councillor John Paul Feeley who got onto Irish Water. They lit a fire under Farrans.”

Delays in the replacement of pipes on nearby Bridge Street impacted the start date of the Wolfe Tone Street section of the project, necessitating a two week extension of the street’s closure.

However, in a bid to limit further disruption and speed up works, the contractor says staff will remain on site over the Easter period, a week when ordinarily they would not be working.

While news of the works continuing is welcomed by Feargal, the disruption is to continue for the time being. The already limited number of parking spaces on the narrow street have now been blocked by the works, meaning a trek up or down the hill for local residents. Only the footpaths are accessible, with the rest of the street fenced off.

Work began in early 2020 to replace large sections of Cavan town’s water pipes. Concerns have been raised throughout the extensive project, particularly around a lack of communication and disruption to homes and businesses.

Like most, Feargal welcomes the pipe replacement and accepts the work is necessary. He chooses to use bottled water due to his concerns over the houses being linked to the asbestos concrete mains through lead pipes.

“The connections to the house are lead pipes. I’m from Dublin, we haven’t had lead pipes in a long time. I tend to buy bottled water rather than drinking the tap water. The work needs to be done, lead pipes, asbestos pipes, they’ve got to go.”

His issue, like many others, is around the lack of communication throughout the process.

“It’s the lack of communication. If it’s three or four weeks, for it then to be extended for another three weeks, without anybody telling you.”

The disruption on Wolfe Tone Street follows a similar situation on Bridge Street in recent months. Speaking to the Celt in late February, café owner Marzena Wieclawka hit out at the lack of information and communication with that section of works.

Irish Water staff appear frustrated with contractor Farrans, in emails seen by this paper. “There are a number of issues which need to be urgently addressed”, says the email, “can you outline how you will address these concerns”.

The other key point in the Irish Water email appears to be a lack of engagement with residents on this project and in particular around the extension of the road closure.

In the email, Irish Water asks representatives of Farrans to meet with Feargal McKay to address his concerns around access for deliveries and bin collections.

“We are now in the third week of the street being closed. That’s three weeks of no bin collections, three weeks when those who rely on home delivery of food or fuel have been unable to avail of these services,” Feargal told the Celt.

He says however, that representatives of Farrans told him they could backfill the work holes in the street to allow fuel lorries to deliver to homes and the contractor’s staff would bring bins to the end of the street for residents or help with shopping, if requested.

A response from Farrans to Irish Water confirms representatives spoke with Feargal McKay and apologised for the disruption: “On Farrans behalf I apologised that this extension to the road closure was not communicated with himself or the rest of the residents.

“I explained that due to the nature of the works and unforeseen circumstances the works are taking longer than expected, but we are now confident they will be completed within the next three weeks.”

A response from Irish Water to queries from The Anglo-Celt echoed the points above.