Services: Water & Sewerage
Achill Sound Sewerage Treatment Plant
Water & Sewerage Service
In 2012 Mayo County Council will continue to ensure that the quality of drinking water and the quality of waste water discharging into our waterways will be of the highest possible quality and in compliance with the appropriate regulations.
2011 has seen the completion of a number of Sewerage Schemes in the County and the introduction of the Operation Phase of the Design Build Operate (DBO) schemes in Achill Sound, Castlebar and Kiltimagh.
Investment in 2012 will focus on the Lough Mask Regional Water Supply Scheme and on progressing Belmullet and Killala Sewerage Schemes through the Planning Process.
All of this should be viewed in the context of the setting up of An Bord Uisce in 2012. This development will have major implications for the work of Mayo County Council.
Remedial Action List and EPA Audited Schemes
Countywide Water Conservation Project
Water Services Investment Programme
Strategic Policy Committee for Water Supply and Sewage
Water Quality
It is imperative that the consumers have total confidence in the drinking water provided by Mayo County Council.
In this regard Mayo County Council is developing a water quality management system incorporating source protection, risk management of supplies, measuring and publishing details of water quality and developing incident management plans for all of our supplies.
In 2012 water quality results will continue to be made available on the Council's website, Water Quality.
Water Supplies are independently tested for Mayo County Council by the Health Service Executive and other private accredited laboratories in accordance with a monitoring programme agreed with the Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.).
This monitoring is carried out on a continuous basis and includes specific cryptosporidium monitoring. Mayo County Council will continue to work with the E.P.A. and Health Service Executive (H.S.E.) regarding the ongoing monitoring of water supplies.
Waste Water Quality
Under legislation introduced in 2007 Mayo County Council must apply to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Waste Water Discharge Licences or Certificates of Authorisation for all of its Waste Water Treatment Plants and this process is on-going.
It is a requirement of the licences issued to date that a Public Awareness & Communications Programme be set up, to advise the public of the availability of licence information for public inspection. This is available at the following link: Wastewater Quality
Waste Water Discharge Licences
The current status of the application process is as follows:
Capacity of Waste Water
|
Waste Water Discharge
|
Number of
|
|---|---|---|
|
Greater than 10,000 |
3 |
3 Licences |
|
2,001 to 10,000 |
10 |
3 Licences |
|
1,001 to 2,000 |
8 |
3 Licences |
|
500 to 1,000 |
12 |
3 Licences |
|
Below 500 |
12 |
12 Certificates |
The application fee to the EPA for these 33 licences and 12 certificates has cost Mayo County Council €616,000. The Council has requested a reduction in the application fees from the EPA. The EPA made a partial refund for certificate applications.
One new licence was granted to Mayo County Council during the last year. The annual contribution to the EPA for 2012, with respect to overseeing the 12 licences that have been issued to date, amounted to €50,000 approximately.
Mayo County Council hold twelve Certificates of Authorisation. There is no annual contribution to the EPA for overseeing Certificates of Authorisation.
Full details of the Waste Water Discharge Licence/Certificate of Authorisation (WWDA) applications and the licences/certificates that have been issued are available on the EPA website http://www.epa.ie/.
Additional Investment
The 2012 Budget includes for additional maintenance costs due to new or enlarged schemes. The main increases are as follows:
- Castlebar Wastewater Treatment Works
The costs associated with the operation of the Castlebar Waste Water Treatment Plant will increase for 2012 as the new plant is now fully operational under the Design Build Operate (DBO) scheme and is being operated by Veolia Ireland Ltd. - Achill Sound and Kiltimagh Wastewater Treatment Works
The costs associated with the operation of the Achill Sound and Kiltimagh Waste Water Treatment Plants will increases for 2012 as the new plants are fully operational under the DBO scheme which is being operated by Response Engineering.
Remedial Action List and EPA Audited Schemes
In its role as a supervisory authority under the 2007 Drinking Water Regulations the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has audited many public water supplies in Mayo and has issued a direction on 6 of these supplies. Use this link to view recent Audit Reports.
The EPA also has reduced the number of public water supplies on its Remedial Action List (RAL) from 11 to 7 in 2011.
Countywide Water Conservation Project
Phase 1 of this project was completed in 2007.
Phase 2 is due for completion early in 2012, at a total cost of €6 million. To date there are 180 District Metering Areas (DMA's) set up across all public water supply schemes. These DMA's are monitored daily and significant savings in water volumes have been achieved. The conservation office is linked with Water Charges which has yielded significant savings in customer leakage. Leakage on Group Water Schemes has also been targeted and reduced.
Phase 3 works, which include all water mains rehabilitation works, have commenced in 2011. The rehabilitation of 5km of the Wherrew rising main in Ballina was completed at a cost of €1.26 million. A further rehabilitation contract of up to 27km of water mains predominately located in the Ballina region is due to commence in 2012 at an estimated cost of €6.0 million. Further rehabilitation works which may also proceed to construction in 2012 are 3km of mains in Kiltimagh town at a cost of €0.65 million and 9km of mains in the Lough Mask RWSS at an estimated cost of €2.0 million.
Asset Management
As the uninterrupted operation of our treatment plants is critical to the delivery of vital water and sewage services for the county, Mayo County Council operates an extensive preventative maintenance programme as well as necessary breakdown maintenance.Water & Sewerage: Engineer & Caretaker Contact Information
A comprehensive preventative maintenance programme is being carried out in conjunction with the Council's Machinery Yard. 2012 will see the out sourcing of some elements of this programme.
Preventative maintenance is carried out before breakdown or failure occurs, and is carried out at specific intervals. This is done to minimise breakdowns. A maintenance programme is a requirement for all of the Waste Water Treatment Plants which have been licenced by the EPA.
Water Metering/Water Charges
Mayo County Council currently has 11,000 Non-Domestic meters installed. 97% of customers are now metered with the remaining customers to be metered as opportunity arises.
A dedicated office dealing solely with Water Charges and Water Conservation is processing 1,850 bills per month. The link between Water Services Charges and water conservation has been effective with a significant reduction in customer leakage.
Particular attention is paid to Group Water Schemes fed off Public Water supplies which is yielding returns as schemes are encouraged to monitor and modulate their water consumption.
Customers can now pay their Water Charges in any Mayo County Council office, or online and they can also monitor their water consumption online using the following link Water & Rates.
Strategic Policy Committee for Water Supply and Sewerage
The Members of the Water Supply & Sewerage Strategic Policy Committee are as follows:
- CIlr. Eugene Lavin, (Chair)
- CIlr. Tom Connolly
- CIlr. Austin Francis O' Malley
- CIlr. John O' Malley
- CIlr. Johnnie O'Malley (Ballina Town Council)
- CIlr. Blackie Gavin
- CIlr. Rose Conway Walsh
- Mr. James O'Malley, Mayo County Community Forum
- Mr. Brendan O'Mahony, IFA
- Ms. Lucy Weir Bingham, Environmental Pillar Representative
- Mr. Ray Gilboy, Business Pillar Representative
Four meetings of the Water Supply & Sewerage SPC were held during 2011 under the directorship of Mr. Paddy Mahon. These meetings were held on the 7th February, 6th May, 9th September and 2nd December.
The committee considered and dealt with the following items amongst others:
- Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2012
- New Inspection Monitoring System for Septic Tanks
- Drinking Water Incident Report Plan
- Western River Basin District Management Plan
The Committee also had a very successful Site Visit to Carrowholly National School, Westport to see how their gravity fed rainwater harvesting system operates. This system is the first of its kind in any National School in Ireland.
Water Services
Second Floor
Mayo County Council
Aras an Chontae
The Mall
Castlebar
Phone: (094)902 44 44
Email: WaterServices@mayococo.ie
Open:
Opening Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
and 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Register On-line
Waste Water Treatment Systems (including Septic tanks) - Environmental Protection Agency
- Online Payments
- Online Services
- Worm Composting
- Reduce Your Waste
- Race Against Waste Website
