The ongoing water crisis in Achill is deeply concerning and must be put right without further delays. We need a direct communication from Irish Water, Mayo Council and the HSE letting people know what needs to be done and when it will be done.
The ‘Do Not Consume’ Notice has caused hardship to the permanent island population and inconvenience to visitors to the island. I appreciate that tankers of water have been made available throughout Achill but not every household has transport to get this water. I am grateful to the Local Link Mayo bus drivers stepped in to bring water to the homes of elderly and vulnerable people.
Tourism businesses who already have had a horrendous year are now faced with the additional challenge of trying to operate a business without running water for washing food produce, icemaking and general consumption. This is not acceptable in 2020. The government are asking that people ‘staycation’. How can they do that if they cannot be assured of something as basic as water.
Unfortunately, a consistent water supply in many parts of Mayo is something we cannot take for granted. Decades of under investment in water and sewerage infrastructure in the county must be addressed. The capacity of treatment plants have now been brought into question. Why did those designing and signing off on these treatments not allow for increased population growth or enterprise development? How can we expect to grow and develop as a county and a region if we restrict the capacity of the most basic of infrastructure. It speaks volumes about the attitude of governments towards Rural Ireland.
