County Sligo Water Conservation Projects

In 2004, Water Conservation activities were extended to all water schemes throughout County Sligo following the allocation of a further €1.79 million in funding from the Department of the Environment, Health and Local Government.

Leakage control zones have now been set up on the various water networks following the installation of fifty bulk flow meters and almost seventy new sluice valves. Tenders have been received for the installation of a new countywide GSM Telemetry system. This telemetry system will enable remote monitoring of reservoir levels, pressures and flows on the water network throughout the entire county. It is anticipated that the system will be installed and commissioned during 2005.

Leak detection activities focused primarily on the South Sligo, Kilmacowen and Strandhill water supply networks in 2004. The average daily demands on the three schemes have been reduced by 370m3/d, 229m3/d and 105m3/d respectively.

CIS Data Capture Project

The Local Government Computer Services Board in association with Kerry County Council has developed the Complete Information System software for use in Local Authorities throughout the Country. €200,000 has been made available by the Department to Sligo County Council to digitise all water & wastewater networks. Data Capture is carried out by means of a GPS (Global Positioning System). 

Sligo County Council commenced the data capture element of the project in June 2003. In excess of 950km of watermains have now been surveyed and digitised into CiS.  It is expected that validation of the entire public water network will be completed by Summer 2005.

Sligo Pilot Metering Project

In order to implement the Government’s ‘Water Pricing Framework’, local authorities are required to achieve universal metering of the water supplied to non-domestic customers by 2006. Sligo County Council is facilitating a pilot project in association with the Department to procure a water metering and billing service through a Design, Build & Operate Contract.

The tender process for this DBO Project was completed in 2004, with Veolia Water Consortium appointed to carry out the project. The project will involve the installation of approximately 6,500 flow meters at an estimated cost of €4 million. It is expected that the installation phase will be completed by December 2005, at which point the operation & maintenance phase will commence.

Rural Water Programme

This was again a very busy year for the Rural Water Programme in Sligo. An allocation of €4,650,000 was received under the various headings – an increase of €2,000,000 over the previous year.

New group water schemes were constructed in Fule/Drimbane, Belclare and Rathgoonane during the year and this was a very welcome development for the families in these areas. Group water schemes to serve the Doo/Knockminna, Glackbaun, Coolaney Road and Drumahair Road Areas are at various stages of planning and the Gleann/Kinnagrelly Group Scheme was approved to go to tender. The latter scheme is expected to be constructed in 2005.

Work continued during the year on the upgrading of the Ballygawley Group Scheme with the provision of a Booster Pumping Station, a 455m3 reservoir and approximately 9,062 metres of pipeline. The scheme was connected to the Lough Gill Water Scheme in December, 2004 and consumers on the scheme now have a water supply which complies with the EU Drinking Water Regulations. 

Work was substantially completed by the end of 2004 on Stage 2 of the Geevagh/Highwood Group Water Scheme.  The work consisted of the provision of approximately 11,180 metres of OD gravity mains from Aughoo to Drumnasooey and was carried out by Carty Contractors Limited. A new storage reservoir was also provided at Aughoo.

Upgrading works were carried out on the Culfadda Group Scheme during the year by P & S Civil Works and on the Castlebaldwin Group Scheme by Campbell Contractors.
 
A new reservoir was also provided on the Benbulben Group Schemes during the year.

Tenders were also sought for upgrading works on the Drum East, Keelogyboy and Keash schemes during the year and these works are expected to be completed in 2005.

Work on the takeover and upgrading of the Ballintogher Group Water Scheme continued during 2004 and consisted of the provision of approximately 4,000 meters of new watermain and a new 30,000 gallon reservoir. The work is due to be completed early in 2005 and the scheme will then be connected to the Lough Gill Water Scheme and taken in charge by Sligo County Council.

The Dromore West Group Water Scheme which was originally supplied from a private source was upgraded and connected to the Lough Easkey public water supply in 2004. It has also been taken in charge by Sligo County Council.
Progress on other major routes included advancing the design of the N17 Tubbercurry Bypass and completing the constraints study for the N15 Sligo to County Boundary.  With regard to Non-National Roads, the R292 Strandhill Road and the R297 Kinard, Enniscrone projects were completed in 2004. Progress continued on the R294 at Mullaghroe and at Drumaskibbole/Glenagoolagh.

Tenders were received during the year for the provision of trunk mains from Ballygawley to Ballisodare, Collooney and towards Ballintogher. This will boost the water supply to both Collooney and Ballisodare. The successful contractors are Ward and Burke and work is expected to be completed early in 2005 at an estimated cost of €718,000.

Contracts were signed on the 10th August, 2004 for the provision of new wastewater treatment works at both Cloonacool and Aclare at an estimated cost of €732,000 and €656,250 respectively. Both schemes are being constructed as design/build projects by Treatment Systems Limited and are due to be completed at the end of May, 2005. Work also commenced in August, 2004, on the provision of a new wastewater facility at Ballisodare at an estimated cost of €1,961,000 and the successful contractor in this case was Response Engineering. Work on the design/build project is expected to be completed in July, 2005.

Tenders were received by Sligo County Council in partnership with 11 No. Private Group Water Schemes for the North West and South East Group DBO projects during 2004. The North West Project consists of the provision of treatment plants on the Ballintrillick, Keelogyboy, Drum East, Benbulben, Castletown and Beltra Group Water Schemes and the operation of the plants for a period of 20 years. The South East Project consists of the provision of treatment plants on the Geevagh/Highwood, Castlebaldwin, Corrick, Keash and Culfadda Group Water Schemes and the operation and maintenance of the plants for a period of 20 years. The contracts for the projects are expected to be signed early in 2005.