Rural Water Programme

Small Water and Sewerage Schemes Corrick

The Corrick Group Water Scheme was completed in 2002. The scheme provides water to 84 households, and is served by 6 uphill springs with back-up supply from Lough Arrow.

The work consisted in the upgrading of the existing scheme, which was constructed in the late 1970’s, and was no longer capable of providing an adequate supply of water. Approximately 6500 metres of watermains were replaced, and a new reservoir constructed.

The total cost of the scheme was €653,155 of which 85% was funded by capital grant (€555,182).

Castletown

The work on Castletown Group Scheme is due for completion in 2003; Over 6000 metres of pipeline will be provided, together with a service reservoir, access road and intake works. The scheme will serve 50 households, and will receive capital grants of €342,209.98. The total estimated cost of the work is €433,219.80.

Ballygawley

The Ballygawley scheme will serve in excess of 250 households, and will entail the installation of over 9000 metres of pipelines. The scheme is estimated to cost €1.3million, of which 85% will be funded by capital grants.

Carrowlabaun

Work on the Carrowlobaun Scheme commenced in 2002, and will cost €79,372. Grant assistance will amount to €64,758 - or 85% of the cost. It is proposed to extend the scheme into the village of Aclare; This will not only boost the water supply to the village, but will also enable a further group scheme to get underway in the Belclare area.

Caltragh

The scheme was constructed to provide an adequate supply of water to six houses - some of the householders had no supply, others were taking water from a nearby river. 1,600 metres of pipeline were laid, with capital grant funding of €30,302.54.

Emlaghfad

Before the Emlaghfad scheme was provided, householders were dependant on unsatisfactory wells. The new scheme serves 15 households, and involved the laying of 3209 metres of watermains. Capital grant assistance amounted to €97,134.96, with the total cost of the scheme being €125,167.37

Lacken

This scheme was completed in February 2002. It serves eleven households, and involved the laying of 1590 meters of watermain. Prior to the construction of the scheme, householders were reliant on an unsatisfactory supply from a local well. The cost of the scheme is €52,072.38, of which €44,261.52 will be met by capital grant.

Water Metering Pilot Programme

This initiative is being undertaken as part of the Government’s ‘Water Services pricing policy.’ This policy has as its objective that Local Authorities will achieve full cost recovery from the non-domestic sector for the provision of water and waste water services for that sector.

The Sligo Local Authorities have been chosen to pilot the project, with the aim of the pilot programme being..

• To procure a comprehensive water metering and billing service of the non-domestic sector for Sligo County Council and Sligo Borough Council.
• To report on the project in a manner that will assist national rollout of water metering in the non-domestic sector.

All non-domestic consumers in the country will be metered and charged for water by 2006. Non-domestic sector will be paying for water supplied for that sector - while Local Authorities are prohibited by law for charging for a domestic supply, the deficit involved is met by the Department of Environment and Local Government.

The new system is considered more equitable in that customers will only be charged for the amount of water consumed. The charge to be levied will also be notified to consumers well in advance of its implementation in order that this cost can be factored into their business plans/ projections.

While the determination of a pricing policy is a complex issue, involving apportionment of many capital and operational costs, the process is completely open and transparent - it will be open to IBEC or any of its members to examine the mechanisms and practices used in arriving at a costing.

Metering of all non-domestic consumers is due to be completed by 2006, and it is expected that on completion of the pilot programme that the new pricing policy will be implemented in Sligo in 2004.

Expressions of interest for the installation/reading of meters are being prepared with the aim of proceeding to tender stage in summer 2003.