WITH parts of Letterkenny again without water yesterday (Thursday) the struggle to find a constant supply to meet the rapid growth of the town is proving to be a major headache.
Letterkenny is now using up to 7 million litres of water per day but with water outages becoming an all too common occurence in the town the council has appealed to people to conserve supplies.
Parts of the town such as Windyhall, Carnamuggagh, Woodlands, Ashbrook, Ard O'Donnell, Glencar and Gortlee have all experienced water cuts and low pressure in recent days and weeks, much to the frustration of local residents.
Speaking to the Donegal News Area Manager for Water Services in Letterkenny, Mr Con McLaughlin admitted they had been 'struggling' to keep reserves replenished due to interruptions and bursts on some parts of the network yesterday.
"It is a fine line trying to meet the supply-demand balance in the Letterkenny area. The council faces a constant battle to cope with the demand but we've a range of measures coming on stream that we're hopeful will alleviate the pressure. However, it is vital that people conserve water and treat it as a precious resource," he said.
Mr McLaughlin said reserves had run low in recent weeks.
"Demand was outstripping supply and we were struggling to keep reserves replenished. Coupled with interruptions caused by bursts, most recently to the trunk main at the Mountain Top, it put a lot of strain on the system," he said.
The Area Manager confirmed the council had, in recent days and weeks, embarked on a dedicated programme of water conservation in the Letterkenny area.
"This involved night checks and technology to track unaccounted for water and carrying out repairs as soon as they were identified. In that regard the supply in Letterkenny is being tightened up considerably," he said.
Councillor Jimmy Harte said the present situation with interruptions was totally 'unacceptable' and he has called on planners to guarantee a water supply before more planning is granted in Letterkenny.
Mr McLaughlin however stressed a range of measures were coming on steam which would help the situation in Letterkenny.
"Work has started on a new source at Lough Greenan beside Lough Salt and we hope to have that delivered before the end of the year.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
