‘Preferred bidders’ emerge on DBO projects

Spring 2005 Volume 7 Issue 1 

<strong>‘Preferred</strong> <strong>bidders’</strong> 

<strong>emerge</strong> on DBO projects 

A preferred bidder is emerging 

for the Limerick DBO 

contract which includes 19 

group water schemes and 

almost 2,500 households. 

Meanwhile bids are in for 

Galway bundle 1 and the 

successful bidder on Mayo 

DBO bundle 1 is expected 

to be confirmed shortly. 

Four tenders were submitted 

for the ¤5 million Limerick 

project and it is understood 

that details of the successful 

bidder will be revealed to the 

participating group water 

schemes on an individual 

basis on Friday 8 and 

Saturday 9 April. 

Federation staff will be present 

alongside Water Services 

personnel from Limerick 

County Council and with the 

Client’s Representative, T. J. 

O’Connor & Associates, to 

explain the bid and answer 

questions. 

It is expected that work on 

the construction phase will 

commence in July, following 

the completion of the Part 8 

planning process. The anticipated 

construction period for 

the project is 15 months. 

Galway 

Meanwhile, on 16 March tenders 

were received from three 

shortlisted bidders for the 

Galway DBO No.1 bundle. 

These are currently being 

assessed by Client’s 

Representative, Ryan Hanley, 

Consulting Engineers, and 

they are expected to make a 

summary presentation on the 

bids to the next Steering 

Group meeting on 5 May. 

Sources indicate that in 

both Limerick and Galway, 

the pricing has been ‘very 

keen’ and that the GWS 

involved can expect ‘real 

value for money’. 

A formal announcement on 

the appointment of Earthtech 

as contractor to Mayo DBO 

bundle 1 is expected in the 

very near future. Again, the 

pricing has justified the procurement 

process and the 

DBO bundling strategy as 

offering the most cost-effective 

means of achieving necessary 

water quality upgrades. 

In this issue: 

............................................ 

Page 

Comment ......................................3 

Freshwater Studies Centre ..........3 

Annual Delegate Conference 2005..4 

Unprecedendented Investment: 

Minister announces RWP 2005 

allocations ....................................9 

Federation Report Presentation ......14 

Mayo on the move! ......................15 

New appointment to NFGWS Mayo 

office ............................................18 

Dr Suzanne Linnane and Dr Breda Brennan pictured at the recently-established National Centre 

for Freshwater Studies at Dundalk Institute of Technology. The centre is supported by the 

National Federation of Group Water Schemes. See story on page 3. 

Regional Reports: 

Northern ......................................19 

Leinster ........................................22 

Southern........................................25 

Western ........................................26 

North Connacht ............................29 

1

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2

Comment 

Two points are worth taking from this year’s allocations under 

the Rural Water Programme; first the unprecedented level of 

investment in rural water services, for which Minister Roche 

was deservedly applauded by Brendan O’Mahony speaking on 

behalf of the group scheme sector. The second point raised by 

Mr O’Mahony in his address to this year’s Annual Delegate 

Conference of the NFGWS is that this allocation is only as 

good as the use it is put to. 

On this point, it is worth remembering that last year only four 

local authorities – Cavan, Cork south, Cork west, and Laois – 

managed to spend their full entitlement, while several other 

counties came close to a full spend. But, on the whole, less 

than ¤ 81 million was spent under the various capital works 

programmes out of an allocation of ¤94 million, and the 

underspend would have been worse had Cavan not drawn 

down some ¤6 million above its allocation for the year! 

If the same situation is to be avoided in 2005, then it is vital 

that a management and review process be implemented in 

every local authority area. And, as Mr O’Mahony has emphasised, 

the best vehicle for this is the proper functioning of local 

Rural Water Monitoring Committees. 

Up to now the full potential of this structure has been largely 

undervalued; committees have not been formed in some areas, 

while in others they meet so infrequently as to be irrelevant or 

are given only minimum information upon which to act. Yet, 

where RWMCs are functioning properly and in the spirit of 

genuine partnership intended, they have proved a major boon 

to furthering the Rural Water Programme. 

This is why, in his recent statements Mr O’Mahony has 

emphasised the importance of establishing in every rural local 

authority committees which will meet on a quarterly basis, at 

least, and will be provided with the necessary information to 

review activity over the previous three months and to discuss 

plans for the coming quarter. Such a programme of review and 

planning can only work if the partners to the Rural Water 

Programme are committed to making it work and if the fullest 

information is provided to committee members. 

We now have a new National Rural Water Monitoring 

Committee in place. With this and the local RWMCs being 

established on a statutory footing under the Water Services 

legislation, and with a Minister in office who is clearly fully 

committed to providing the resources needed to realising the 

objectives of the Rural Water Programme, our determination 

in 2005 should be to make a fresh start, to drive forward with 

the necessary investment in infrastructure as agreed in the 

NRWMC Action Plan and to ensure that there is no underspend 

in the months ahead. 

Disclaimer 

While every care has been taken to ensure that the information 

contained in this publication is up to date and correct, no 

responsibility will be taken by the National Federation of 

Group Water Schemes for any error which might occur. 

Although grateful for the support of our advertisers, readers 

should note that inclusion of an advertisement does not imply 

any form of recommendation. 

While every effort is made to ensure the reliability of 

advertisers, GWS News cannot accept liability for the quality 

of goods and services offered. 

Freshwater 

Studies Centre 

The National Federation of 

Group Water Schemes has 

been directly involved in 

establishing a National 

Centre for Freshwater 

Studies at Dundalk Institute 

of Technology (DKIT). 

This major new initiative 

arose out of ongoing contacts 

between senior college staff 

and representatives of the 

group scheme sector as part 

of the Steering Group for the 

National Source Protection 

Pilot at Churchill & Oram 

Group Water Scheme. 

The brainchild of Steering 

Group Chairperson and 

DKIT Director, Dr Tom 

Collins, the Centre is to be 

managed by Drs Suzanne 

Linnane and Breda Brennan. 

They have made clear that its 

focus will be on identifying 

and implementing solutions 

to the contamination of 

drinking water sources. 

Indeed, the first project to 

be organised under the auspices 

of the Centre involves a 

detailed study of the 

Churchill & Oram catchment 

by two postgraduate students, 

with a view to identifying 

and implementing remedial 

actions which will combat 

source pollution. The students 

will further identify best practice 

in creating community 

awareness and involvement 

in countering pollution threats 

to the drinking water source at 

Milltown Lake. 

A 2-year Masters course is 

being offered to two students 

with a background in 

Environmental Science or a 

related faculty. Applications 

should be sent to Dr Suzanne 

Linnane by 29 April. 

Continued on page 8 

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3

A new format for the holding 

of Federation conferences 

was agreed by 71 

delegates representing 18 

counties who attended the 

NFGWS Annual Delegate 

Conference in Longford 

on Sunday, 13 March. 

Supporting a motion from 

the recently formed Wexford/ 

Carlow Federation that conferences 

be held in a more 

central location, the Board 

and delegates went further 

and agreed to introduce (on a 

trial basis) the idea of scheduling 

future ADC to take 

place on a midweek evening, 

rather than on a Sunday. 

Secretary’s report 

Describing 2004 as ‘another 

year of unprecedented activity’ 

for the group scheme sector, 

NFGWS Secretary Tony 

Prendiville, said that the 

introduction of new support 

measures towards water conservation 

was ‘one of the 

most positive developments 

in recent years’. And he 

added that there was ‘every 

reason to hope that these supports 

will, in time, be extended 

across the entire GWS 

sector, privately-sourced and 

publicly-sourced, because 

water wastage is always environmentally 

and economically 

unsustainable’. 

On the issue of partnership, 

he compared the delivery of 

the Rural Water Programme 

to the ‘curate’s egg’, telling 

delegates that ‘there is still 

some way to go before group 

scheme activists will conclude 

that our partners in 

local authorities are universally 

committed to the principle 

of partnership in implementing 

the programme’. 

As for monitoring, he said 

that the NFGWS wants the 

production of ‘guidelines on 

water testing that will reassure 

schemes that the monitoring 

regime is transparent 

and that GWS will be 

informed of results without 

undue delay’. 

Annual Delegate 

Conference 2005 

REPORT 

KEY 

ISSUES 

DISCUSSED 

A total of 26 motions were 

submitted for the consideration 

of delegates to the 

Annual Delegate 

Conference from 14 

Federations incorporating 

15 counties. 

Subsidy and grants 

More than half of these related 

to capital grant aid and 

subsidy, with Kilkenny and 

Laois Federations making the 

case for all quality compliant 

GWS to receive the same 

capital grant-aid entitlements 

as schemes involved in DBO 

bundles. County Monaghan 

Federation argued for a 

review of current grant levels 

in light of ‘the huge cost of 

road restoration’ and asked 

for the inclusion for grant 

support of ‘all new house 

sites where foundations have 

been poured’. Offaly group 

water schemes moved that’ 

all costs associated with the 

treatment of water be 100% 

grant aided’. 

On the issue of subsidy, 

motions generally reflected 

the contention from Wicklow 

and Cavan Federations that 

financial supports in respect 

of O&M contracts be 

‘revised and index-linked in 

line with annual inflationary 

cost increases’, while Offaly 

and Kilkenny Federations 

similarly argued for a rise in 

the annual subsidy rate for all 

schemes to take into account 

‘the increasing annual 

expenses associated with 

running GWS and the reduction 

in voluntary input from 

GWS members over the past 

few years’. 

As in previous years, there 

were calls for the ring-fencing 

of subsidy payments in 

respect of DBO O&M contracts. 

Monaghan Federation 

submitted that schemes with 

existing treatment facilities 

which had signed up for 

DBO contracts be allowed 

the full subsidy entitlement 

in respect of ‘all interim 

operational arrangements and 

costs’. 

Co-operatives 

In light of the fact that GWS 

are being actively encouraged 

to form co-operatives, 

the Carlow & Wexford 

Federation suggested that the 

Board would ‘seek to have 

the expenditure associated 

with forming and maintaining 

a co-op (incl. Auditors 

Fees) 100% recoupable 

under the Annual Subsidy’. 

Sligo Federation argued for 

parity of treatment with 

domestic dwellers on public 

schemes when it came to 

determining subsidy rates. 

Continued on Page 8 

A section of the delegates who attended this year’s NFGWS Annual Delegate Conference. 

4

Keynote address 

In the course of his keynote 

address, NFGWS Chairperson 

Brendan O’Mahony said the 

recent announcement of a 

¤ 125 million investment in 


for 2005 was ‘music to the 

ears of group scheme 

activists’. But, adding a note 

of warning, he continued: 

‘This allocation, for which 

we thank the Minister, is only 

as good as our ability to 

spend it. We are acutely 

aware that most counties 

failed to spend their allocation 

last year and our efforts 

in 2005 should be directed 

towards ensuring that this 

does not re-occur. 

‘As I informed Minister 

Roche at our meeting last 

November, the only way to 

ensure that the money is 

spent and that it is spent 

where it is needed most, is to 

have properly functioning 

Rural Water Monitoring 

Committees in every relevant 

local authority area. 

‘In 2005 we have to insist 

that this critical element of 


is functioning properly and 

that it is being provided with 

the necessary information in 

respect of current and 

planned expenditure. It is 

pointless waiting until the 

summer months (or even 

later) before a meeting of the 

County Rural Water 

Monitoring Committee is 

called, only to be informed at 

that stage of the allocation for 

the year. By that time it will 

be too late to properly plan 

projects, to get agreement 

from individual group 

schemes, to prepare tenders, 

appoint client’s representatives 

and complete the procurement 

process. 

Representatives 

‘Yet, sadly, this has been the 

case in the past and as representatives 

of the group 

scheme sector we should no 

longer allow ourselves to be 

sidelined in this way. We are 

not there to be summoned 

and ‘told’ what is going to 

happen. As equal partners 

under the Rural Water 

Programme, group scheme 

representatives on such committees 

and representatives of 

other rural organisations as 

well as elected representatives 

need to be part of the 

planning and review process, 

not mere spectators. 

No limits 

‘As has been stated before, in 

those counties where the 

principle of partnership has 

been embraced by the local 

authority, where committees 

are up and running as they 

should, where the members 

of such committees engage 

with one another in a spirit of 

genuine co-operation and 

mutual respect, there are no 

limits to what can be 

achieved.’ 

Stating that quarterly 

RWMC meetings were a 

minimum requirement, he 

Gerald McCarthy, ICOS, was 

on hand to advise delegates. 

said that these should include 

‘a review of work and expenditure 

in rural water services 

over the previous three 

months, as well as a schedule 

of plans for the future’. 

‘That is the only recipe for 

ensuring that the generous 

allocation made to our sector 

is applied as it should be to 

addressing the most urgent 

task of bringing all group 

water schemes into compliance 

with National and EU 

water quality standards. 


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5

6

Continued from Page 5 

Welcoming the start in 2004 

of advance (or enabling) 

works on DBO bundle projects, 

Mr O’Mahony said that 

there had been ‘even better 

news’ with the announcement 

that schemes entering DBO 

bundles ‘will now enjoy new 

supports towards water conservation’. 

He continued: 

‘The issue of water conservation 

has been high on the 

agenda of group water 

schemes for several years 

now. Defective pipework and 

the absence of metering on 

most schemes meant that 

GWS could not effectively 

manage their water supplies. 

Our suspicions were borne 

out by the results of a study 

conducted by Ryan Hanley 

consulting engineers to the 

first Mayo bundle. This 

showed water loss of up to 

80% on some schemes and it 

didn’t take a genius to work 

out that such losses would be 

unsustainable in a situation 

where schemes would be 

paying for every gallon of 

treated water. 

‘To its credit, the 

Department responded to our 

concerns on this issue and the 

supports now available to all 

schemes entering DBO bundles 

will, I am confident, be 

extended to all group water 

schemes in the country over 

time. Why? Because it makes 

both environmental and economic 

sense to conserve supplies 

of treated water and it 

makes absolutely no sense to 

continue to subsidise water 

wastage. As group scheme 

activists, we want to manage 

our resources effectively 

through metering and other 

measures and I am happy that 

Minister Roche understands 

and supports our position on 

this point. 

Commitment 

‘Improving the overall performance 

of our group 

scheme businesses requires a 

new level of commitment. If 

we are to succeed into the 

future, we must look beyond 

the issue of treating water to 

the wider business of effectively 

managing the delivery 

of that supply to our members. 

And, no less important, we 

need to take care that our 

businesses remain solvent. 

Supports 

Addressing the range of supports 

offered to individual 

group water schemes by the 

National Federation, Mr 

O’Mahony emphasised that 

the business management 

course currently on offer to 

committees of management 

within their own localities 

had been ‘specially tailored 

to meet the needs of the GWS 

sector’. As to other services 

provided, he said: 

‘We have a Quality 

Assurance Scheme which 

will be offered this year to 

schemes which have completed 

upgrades. In the 

months ahead we plan to 

introduce health & safety 

training to schemes within 

their own areas. In addition to 

all of the above, there is the 

operational training being 

offered to schemes through 

Regional Training Centres’. 

Expressing ‘delight’ that 

the WSNTG has taken on 

board ‘the evolving needs of 

group scheme activists’ and 

adding that ‘an outreach 

approach adopted to training 

in the south east region will 

hopefully be extended to other 

regions this year’, Mr 

O'Mahony revealed that interviews 

were taking place that 

week ‘in respect of a contract 

to design new courses on leak 

detection and the Performance 

Management System. 

He concluded by strongly 

urging group schemes ‘to 

avail of such training opportunities 

as and when they 

become available’. 

7 

Pictured at the NFGWS Conference in Longford on Sunday, 13 

March, were (clockwise from bottom left): Michael Lyons, 

Paddy O'Grady and Tommy Greaney of Galway Federation; 

Liam Gleeson of Tipperary Federation with NFGWS Joint 

Treasurer, Paddy Ward; Limerick delegates Brian Ruttle, Austin 

Cregan, Maureen Cregan and John Hennessy; Mayo delegates 

Anthony Plunkett, Kevin Duvanney (speaking into microphone) 

and Brendan Calvey.

KEY ISSUES 

DISCUSSED 


Source Protection 

Two motions in relation to 

this topic came from Cavan 

Federation. The first requested 

the incoming Board ‘to 

examine and report ... on all 

of the existing measures that 

are in place to protect drinking 

water sources such as 

• Legislation and Local 

Authority Byelaws in relation 

to waste and effluent 

management. 

• Existing best practises 

with regard to Industrial, 

Domestic and Farm waste 

management and the monitoring/enforceability 

of 

same 

• Planning guidelines, etc. 

A second proposal on this 

topic suggested the Board 

‘organise a suitable Publicity/ 

Freshwater 

Studies Centre 

Educational campaign which 

will 

• highlight the vulnerability 

of drinking water sources 

and 

• Recommend measures 

that must be taken in order 

to protect these sources.’ 

Delegates were informed of 

progress on the National 

Source Protection Pilot 

Project at Churchill & Oram 

and how issues raised in the 

motions are being addressed. 

Monitoring 

Perceived failures in relation 

to monitoring on the 21- 

scheme pilot disinfection 

project in County 

Roscommon must be avoided 

under the DBO arrangements, 

according to a motion 

from County Roscommon 

Federation. This called for 

performance to ‘be scrupulously 

scrutinised and monitored, 

with adequate penalties, 

where appropriate, over 

the 20 years O&M phase’. 


Setup costs for the new DKIT 

Centre are believed to be in 

the region of ¤ 200,000 and 

this funding has been secured 

through the assistance of the 

NFGWS. 

Welcoming the establishment 

of the centre and the 

commitment of both Dundalk 

IT and the Federation to 

‘advancing the search for 

workable solutions to source 

pollution’, NFGWS Board 

member and a director of 

Churchill & Oram GWS, 

Mac Boyd said that it represented 

‘a vote of confidence 

by the group scheme sector 

and the college in the ability 

of communities to deal effectively 

with this key issue’. 

Shared problems 

Stressing that the problems 

facing Churchill & Oram 

GWS are shared by many 

other drinking water suppliers, 

he said that the lessons 

learned at the DKIT Centre 

‘have the potential to benefit 

the entire drinking water 

industry’. Mr Boyd 

expressed delight that the 

Federation had ‘taken a lead 

in setting up this centre and 

had made the necessary funding 

possible’. 

Additional copies of GWS NEWS 

Three copies of GWS News are currently provided free-ofcharge 

to group water schemes. If your group scheme is 

interested in securing additional copies of the magazine 

for individual management committee/board members, 

please supply a list of names and addresses to Julie 

Brannigan at NFGWS, 24 Old Cross Square, Monaghan. 

Tel: 047-72766 Fax: 047-72788 

Training 

Wicklow delegates proposed 

that training fees be ‘refunded 

in full regardless of existing 

maximum subsidy entitlements’. 

Mayo, Tipperary, Leitrim and 

Clare Federations all urged 

the Board to re-examine the 

possibility of securing a common 

GWS insurance package, 

while Monaghan delegates 

asked that the benefits, 

or otherwise, of registering 

for VAT be explored. 

A proposal in respect of dealing 

with GWS debtors in the 

small claims court came from 

Limerick, as did a suggestion 

that the Board investigate if a 

deal could be done with an 

electricity generating company 

to supply power to GWS 

at a better rate than is available 

through the ESB. 

Finally Carlow & Wexford 

moved that NFGWS meetings 

be held in a central location 

to accommodate members 

travelling a distance. 

NFGWS development worker, David Murphy, and Micheál 

Mac Eoin, Killanny GWS, County Monaghan. 

8

9

Unprecedented investment 

Minister announces RWP 2005 allocations 

‘Little did we think seven 

years ago that we would ever 

see this level of investment in 

the rural water sector.’ With 

these few words NFGWS 

leader, Brendan O’Mahony, 

summed up the feelings of 

those who gathered in 

Castlebar on Wednesday, 16 

February for the announcement 

by Environment Minister, 

Dick Roche, TD, of allocations 

under the Rural Water 

Programme (RWP) for 2005. 

All of the partners to the 

RWP – GWS activists, the 

Minister and his Department 

officials and local authority 

elected representatives and 

staff – were present at the 

WSNTG Training Centre to 

hear Minister Roche 

announce a whopping 50% 

increase over the entire RWP 

capital spend in 2004. 

A record ¤ 125 million has 

been allocated towards the 

capital programme, almost 

Minister Roche, TD. 

half of which is being spent in 

providing DBO treatment 

facilities for group water 

schemes as well as financing 

necessary enabling works on 

these projects. 

A further allocation of ¤ 11 

million has been set aside by 

the Minister to cover group 

scheme subsidies and local 

authority administration under 

the Rural Water Programme. 

DBO spend 

Under the Capital works 

investment prgramme, more 

than ¤ 58 million is directed 

towards the eighteen DBO 

projects currently at the planning 

or construction stage. 

¤ 11 million is available to 

connect quality deficient 

schemes to public supplies, 

while ¤ 12 million has been 

provided to fund the takeover 

of schemes by local authorities 

where this is the agreed 

way forward. 

In addition to the 

above.,¤24 million is avail - 

able for the establishment and 

upgrading of GWS, while nearly 

¤ 20 million will go towards 

small public water and sewerage 

schemes. 

Minister praises GWS 

In the course of his main 

address, Minister Roche 

warmly praised the contribution 

of the GWS sector, stating 

that the movement ‘has 

left an indelible mark on the 

economy and landscape of 

rural Ireland’. Adding that 

‘the National Federation of 

Group Water Schemes has 

been a powerful force for 

change’, and referring to his 

meeting before Christmas 

with a delegation led by Mr 

O’Mahony, he continued: 

‘I was greatly encouraged 

by the Federation’s deep commitment 

to the strategic partnership 

involving the county 

councils, the rural organisations 

and my own Department 

which has as its central theme 

the elimination once and for 

all, of substandard rural water 

supplies. 

‘What is involved is by any 

standards a huge logistical 

and financial challenge. Half 

measures or cosmetic exercises 

will not bring about compliance 

and I hope my 

announcement of the 2005 

capital allocations will provide 

everyone with the reassurance 

that lack of funding, 

at least, will not be an obstacle 

as far as I am concerned. 

Affordable 

‘However, to be truly sustainable 

it must be affordable to 

the group scheme right 

through the 20 years 

Operation and Maintenance 

phase. Brendan O’Mahony 

and his colleagues have made 

a very convincing case to me 

for financial support for water 

conservation and leakage control 

measures on schemes 

signing up to Design Build 

Operate contracts to ensure 

that affordability did not 

become an issue over the 20 

years operational contract. 

‘Based on a model developed 

here in Mayo, my 

Department has now put in 

place a new stream of capital 

grant assistance for group 

schemes participating in 

Design Build Operate contracts 

who need to reduce 

unaccounted for water levels. 

This can be done by replacing 

critical sections of mains as 

well as universal metering of 

all connections.’ 

The Minister stressed that 

‘universal metering is a valuable 

water conservation and 

demand management facility’ 

and is ‘not simply, as the 

uninformed might think, a 

10

NFGWS Board members pictured with Minister Roche in Castlebar at the announcement of unprecedented investment in the RWP. 

Introducing the investment 

programme for 2005, the 

Minister expressed his hope 

that the package of supports 

‘totalling some ¤ 136 million 

in all’ would ‘demonstrate 

that my professed support for 

the valiant efforts by both 

county councils and group 

schemes countrywide to 

eliminate substandard rural 

water supplies goes further 

than words’. In his concluding 

remarks, he added: 

‘These allocations will fund a 

record amount of water supply 

improvement work on the 

ground all over Ireland. This 

year I hope to see the back of 

the rural water quality issue 

well and truly broken. I am 

confident this will happen 

thanks to the help, commitment 

and determination of 

people like yourselves who 

give tirelessly of your time 

and energy and are the backbone 

of communities right up 

and down the country.’ 

Staggering 

Welcoming Minister Roche 

to Mayo, Brendan O’Mahony 

described as ‘staggering’ the 

pace of change in the rural 

water sector. 

‘From a position just seven 

years ago when the group 

scheme sector was the 

Cinderella of Irish water 

services and was denied its 

fair share of public monies 

allocated towards drinking 

water provision, we are now 

witnessing unprecedented 

investment and the very real 

prospect that virtually all 

those GWS that come under 

the terms of the regulations 

will be delivering quality 

water to their members in the 

not-too-distant future.’ 

Urging schemes which have 

yet to agree an upgrade strategy 

to ‘act now’, Mr 

O’Mahony said that there had 

been considerable encouragement 

during 2004 for 

those schemes awaiting DBO 

upgrades, as a programme of 

investment in enabling works 

got underway. He continued: 

‘Then during last year came 

even better news; that unaccounted-for-water 

was to be 

prioritised and that as part of 

enabling works, schemes 

entering DBO bundles will 

now enjoy new supports 

towards water conservation. 

We are delighted that the 

Minister and his Department 

have been pro-active in 

addressing this issue and you 

can rest assured Minister that 

you have the full support of 

the group scheme movement 

in what you are proposing.’ 


Terry Allen (DoEHLG) and Joe Beirne (Engineer, Mayo County 

Council) at the announcement of the RWP allocations. 

11

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12

Rural Water Programme Allocations 2005 

County DBO Advance New/Upgrading Connecting Takeover Small public Total 

proposals DBO Work of GWS to public main of GWS water/sewerage allocation 

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ 

Carlow 1,000,000 500,000 640,000 0 600,000 900,000 3,640,000 

Cavan 8,200,000 3,300,000 1,500,000 0 0 650,000 13,650,000 

Clare 4,200,000 1,600,000 1,800,000 600,000 1,500,000 650,000 10,350,000 

Cork North 0 0 750,000 20,000 750,000 750,000 2,270,000 

Cork South 0 0 1,250,000 0 532,000 900,000 2,682,000 

Cork West 0 0 900,000 0 700,000 750,000 2,350,000 

Donegal 0 650,000 900,000 0 620,000 650,000 

Dublin area – 0 – – – – 

Galway 4,500,000 5,000,000 1,400,000 1,983,000 500,000 650,000 14,033,000 

Kerry 0 0 1,400,000 70,000 1,100,000 650,000 3,220,000 

Kildare 0 100,000 1,000,000 0 168,000 650,000 1,918,000 

Kilkenny 0 270,000 700,000 0 370,000 660,000 2,000,000 

Laois 0 715,000 900,000 50,000 500,000 650,000 2,815,000 

Leitrim 250,000 500,000 700,000 1,870,000 200,000 650,000 4,170,000 

Limerick 3,000,000 1,250,000 1,200,000 400,000 1,000,000 650,000 7,500,000 

Longford 0 0 800,000 850,000 200,000 650,000 2,500,000 

Louth 0 0 115,000 0 15,000 550,000 680,000 

Mayo 4,000,000 6,100,000 2,000,000 4,000,000 750,000 650,000 17,500,000 

Meath 200,000 0 1,000,000 0 125,000 750,000 2,075,000 

Monaghan 2,420,000 600,000 1,100,000 0 500,000 650,000 5,270,000 

Offaly 50,000 0 800,000 28,400 15,000 650,000 1,543,400 

Roscommon 1,320,000 800,000 250,000 80,000 100,000 650,000 3,200,000 

Sligo 4,000,000 1,500,000 400,000 0 100,000 650,000 7,050,000 

Tipperary Nth 0 0 600,000 0 250,000 750,000 1,600,000 

Tipperary Sth 0 0 400,000 0 90,000 650,000 1,110,000 

Waterford 0 0 100,000 0 100,000 750,000 950,000 

Westmeath 0 0 500,000 0 111,000 750,000 1,361,000 

Wexford 0 567,000 550,000 0 550,000 650,000 2,317,000 

Wicklow 0 1,800,000 430,000 1,041,000 120,000 1,000,000 4,391,000 

33,140,000 25,252,000 23,955,000 10,992,400 11,966,000 19,660,000 124,965,400 


Mr O’Mahony confidently 

predicted that the progress of 

recent years would intensify 

in 2005. This was amply 

demonstrated by the package 

announced by the Minister, 

which ‘far exceeded what 

might have been hoped for’. 

Group scheme activists, he 

said, are ‘more than willing 

to forge ahead with the central 

project of bringing our 

drinking water supplies up to 

standard’, but he urged 

schemes to ‘look beyond the 

issue of treating water to the 

wider business of effectively 

managing the delivery of that 

supply to our members and, 

no less important, taking care 

that our businesses remain 

solvent’. 

As the sector moved into 

‘unchartered waters’ with the 

Water Services legislation, he 

accepted Minister Roche’s 

assurance that the new licensing 

regime would not be 

‘punitive’. Nonetheless, GWS 

should avail of all relevant 

training opportunities. 

A section of the crowd which attended the Minister’s launch of the RWP allocations for 2005. 

13

FEDERATION 

REPORT PRESENTATION 

The launch of the Rural 

Water Programme allocations 

in Castlebar, County 

Mayo, provided an opportunity 

for Federation chairperson, 

Brendan O’Mahony 

to present Minister Roche 

with a review of NFGWS 

activity over the previous 

year. 

The Annual Report for 

2004 measures progress 

against a series of objectives 

and actions set out in the 

NFGWS Strategic Plan 

2003-2005. It acknowledges, 

however, that the NRWMC 

Action Plan Towards 

Drinking Water Quality 

2003-2006 has taken precedence 

over all other external 

objectives being pursued by 

the National Federation. 

Given the central importance 

of resolving the water 

quality issue, the Report provides 

considerable detail of 

developments on each of 18 

DBO bundles being pursued 

at present. It reveals that 

almost 40,000 rural households 

on privately-sourced 

GWS were included within 

these bundles as of 31 

December 2004. 

Regional reports – many 

compiled with the assistance 

of Rural Water Liaison 

Officers and other local 

authority staff – illustrate the 

sheer scale of construction 

across most counties as 

groups prepare for DBO 

upgrades or are otherwise 

brought into compliance with 

water quality standards. 

Internally, the Report notes 

developments in regard to the 

service provided by NFGWS 

staff and looks at the extent 

of take-up by GWS of both 

operational and management 

training courses. 

14

Mayo on the move! 

an overview of progress under the Rural Water Programme 

There are no accidents 

when it comes to choosing 

the location for a major 

Ministerial announcement 

and it was certainly no accident 

that Castlebar, County 

Mayo, was selected as the 

venue in which Minister 

Dick Roche, TD, would 

reveal the allocations under 


for 2005. 

Travel anywhere in this 

extensive county and you 

will see evidence of massive 

ongoing work to bring the 

group water sector into compliance 

with National and EU 

standards on drinking water 

quality. 

Working in close co-operation 

with individual group 

‘Counties Mayo and Galway have, between them, 

some 40% of all group water schemes in the country. 

They share the common concern of vulnerable 

surface and groundwater sources, under pressure 

from agriculture, development and the changing 

lifestyles of rural dwellers. 

In Mayo alone, only 12 of the 101 privately-sourced 

group water schemes meet the drinking water quality 

standards in full. The other 89 schemes have 

shown varying degrees of contamination, some of it 

severe. That’s the bad news. There is, thankfully, 

good news too.’ 

schemes and an active Rural 

Water Monitoring Committee, 

Mayo County Council has 

put forward a very ambitious 

upgrading plan for non-compliant 

group water schemes 

in the county. In broad terms, 

that plan envisages: 

Minister Dick Roche, TD 

• New disinfection facilities 

being provided for 10 

schemes to ensure continued 

compliance with the 

quality standards 

• State-of-the-art water treatment 

and disinfection 

plants being installed in as 

many as 50 schemes 

• Up to 40 schemes with private 

sources being connected 

to the public mains 

and a further two schemes 

being taken into public 

charge by the Council at 

the request of the GWS 

themselves. 

Huge undertaking 

By any reckoning, this is a 

huge undertaking, but for the 

first time the financial 

resources are in place to see it 

through. In 2005, County 

Mayo has been allocated a 

record ¤ 17.5 million for its 

RWP, more than double the 

¤ 7.8 million spent in 2004. 

Almost ¤ 15 million of this 

year’s allocation is ringfenced 

for the upgrade of privately- 

Lough Mask, County Mayo, is source for several group water schemes as well as one of the county’s largest regional schemes. 

15

Following the standard procurement 

process, Earth Tech 

has recently <strong>emerge</strong>d as the 

successful contractor on 

DBO bundle No. 1 which 

includes 13 treatment plants 

serving 21 schemes. The contract 

is valued at ¤ 16.5m and, 

according to Minister Dick 

Roche, TD, ‘will produce a 

top quality supply for 3,328 

rural households as well as 

numerous business and commercial 

consumers’. 

Formally approving the 

contract, the Minister paid 

tribute to the group schemes 

involved ‘for their commitment 

and determination to 

get to grips quickly with what 

needed to be done and for 

taking effective action on 

behalf of the communities by 

joining with the Council in 

setting up this contract’. 

Advance works 

Not that the schemes 

involved have had to wait 

until the start of the main 

contract to see things happen. 

Almost all of the GWS have 

seen the commencement of 

advance (DBO enabling) 

Above: Joe Gallagher with Kevin Duvanny of Brackloon/ 

Spaddagh GWS near Ballyhaunis. Set up in 1977 to serve 86 

houses, today there are 158 homes on this scheme. The source is 

from Lough Caheer (White Lake) and water is pumped through 

the network. As part of its upgrade in Mayo DBO bundle no. 1, 

the GWS has secured a new reservoir, a 340 metre access road, 

.75km on new pipwork and 6 bulk meters. Under the second 

phase of advance works, 190 stopcock boxes are to be installed. 

works by Carty Contractors 

and the huge progress made 

in 2004 has continued this 

spring under the direction of 

1 has included construction 

of 9 reservoirs on separate 

schemes, almost 2 kilometres 

of access roads on six of the 

Ryan Hanley Consulting schemes involved, laying 

Engineers, client’s representative 

on the Mayo bundles. 

Advance works contract No. 

25.25 km of pipework across 

nine schemes and installation 

of 75 bulk meters across all 

The largest advance works contract on the Mayo DBO bundle has been at Lough Mask/Creevagh GWS. This includes installation of 

almost 16 km of network – including a 6 km rising main from a new intake point on the lake – a 235 metre access road, a new reservoir 

and seven bulk metres. 2, 556 stopcock boxes are also to be installed. Above right: Lough Mask/Creevagh GWS has an active 

leak detection programme. Scheme operator, Séamus Walsh is pictured checking for leaks close to the present pumphouse. 

16

Bundle No. 1 

GWS 

Households 

Ballycroy 322 

Ballyglass Carnacon 504 

Bannogues Ballintubber 

Belderrig 55 

Bohola 524 

Brackloon Spaddagh 158 

Cregganbaun 

Drummin 48 

Glann 

Glencorrib 362 

Glenhest 138 

Glosh 

Innisbiggle 

Killeen 201 

Kilmeena 298 

Kilmovee Urlaur 478 

Laughta 80 

Lough Mask/Creevagh 325 

Mochara 

Rathnacreeva 

Tavneena 18 

Bundle No. 2 

Ballyvary 100 

Bofeenaun 254 

Burrishule 170 

Callow 264 

Cloonmore Rooskey 231 

Cuilmore 141 

Curraghmore 75 

Derryhillagh 25 

Eskeragh 25 

Fahy Kilmaclasser 221 

Keelogues 118 

Killasser 360 

Lahardane 110 

Meelick 200 

Prizon Lisnolan 193 

Puladoohey 70 

Sraheens 191 

Straide 210 

Woodfield Ballure 133 

In contrast to earlier DBO 

bundles, the client’s representatives 

on Mayo bundle 1 

were given a specific brief to 

assess rates of ‘unaccounted 

for water’ on participating 

schemes. The results were 

startling; one scheme 

(Ballycroy) registering 78% 

water loss, while no fewer 

than seven had losses above 

60%. Indeed, only three GWS, 

Brackloon Spaddagh (20%), 

Kilmeena (26%) and 

Kilmovee Urlaur (17%) had 

acceptable levels of water 

loss. Nor was the problem 

localised. A survey conducted 

in Galway showed a similar 

range of water loss. Michael 

Joyce of Ryan Hanley 

Consulting Engineers spelt 

out the implications for GWS 

entering DBO contracts: 

• Treatment works & reservoirs 

would be larger and more 

expensive than necessary 

• Total demand would exceed 

the Treated Water Production 

Limit set by the DOEHLG for 

each works as the 2025 design 

demand + 25% UFW 

• Uncontrolled growth in UFW 

will eventually effect continuity 

of supply to members 

• Hydraulic capacity of existing 

or upgraded distribution 

network will be reduced 

• The net cost of treated water 

from the DBO contractor will 

be increased. 

Top: Staff attached to Rural 

Water Services in Mayo 

County Council pictured at 

the recent announcement of 

RWP allocations for 2005. 

Left: Martin McManaman at 

the new pipework and reservoir, 

part of the advance 

works at Glenhest GWS. 

Columns right & left: Upgrade 

plans for over 80 group water 

schemes in County Mayo. 

Connecting to Public Supplies 

GWS 

Households 

Barnacarroll 100 

Belcarra 320 

Bofield 200 

Bushfield (Charlestown) 17 

Carnahan 54 

Carras Co-op 242 

Cashel (Charlestown) 15 

Cloonmore/Cloonlavish 100 

Coogue 80 

Cornboy 25 

Cullintra/Mayo Abbey 22 

Currykirwan 25 

Cushin 35 

Davros (Thomastown) 60 

Derryvohey GWS 90 

Doohoma 40 

Drumindoo 255 

Drumsheen/Newtown 20 

Glenamoy 100 

Gurteen/Carrowkeel 120 

Holywell 81 

Johnstown 130 

Keenagh 17 

Kilgalligan 25 

Kilgarriff/Larganboy 50 

Kilkeeran 35 

Knockinakell 20 

Lissatava 35 

Logboy 313 

Loughanemon 50 

Manulla 120 

Mayo Abbey 20 

Milford 31 

Monard (Portagh) 40 

Pollavaddy 25 

Pulbawn 90 

Robeen 220 

Rosmoney 23 

Rossport 57 

Roy Bingham 30 

Shraheens (Aughagower) 30 

Tallaghanbaun 25 

Tallaghanduff 30 

TAKEOVER BY LOCAL AUTHORITY 

Knockmore 513 

Glenisland/Islandeady 487 

17

Conservation focus 

These findings prompted a 

welcome focus on the importance 

of water management 

and ultimately led to the 

Department’s announcement 

of new supports in the area of 

conservation. Furthermore, 

they led to the inclusion of 

basic water conservation 

strategies as part of the 

Karen Mulkeen of 

Ballindine, County Mayo has 

been appointed as Health & 

Safty Officer with the 

National Federation of Group 

Water Schemes. Based in the 

Federation’s office within the 

IRD centre in Kiltimagh, 

Karen will have a special 

focus on the development 

needs of schemes in her 

native county. 

Graduate 

Having graduated from Sligo 

Institute of Technology in 

1998 with a Bsc (Hons) in 

Environmental Science & 

Technology, she subsequently 

obtained a certificate in 

Safety & Health at Work 

from University College 

Dublin. 

Since graduating in 1998, she 

has been employed as an 

Environmental Scientist with 

John Barnett & Associates 

Ltd (CSA Group), a Minerals 

Planning & Environmental 

Consultancy in Dublin. 

advance works on DBO 

projects. In terms of the 

Mayo DBO bundle 1, it has 

meant the replacement as 

part of advance works of a 

further 19km of defective 

network on five schemes, as 

well as the installation of 

stopcock boxes on the 5,792 

connections across all of the 

schemes involved. 

18 

Bundle 2 

With 21 schemes on board to 

date, DBO bundle 2 is making 

progress this spring as a 

series of meetings has got 

underway between the 

client’s representatives, Ryan 

Hanley, and individual 

schemes. These have focused 

on design review reports and 

in discussing practical details 

Karen was responsible for 

carrying out and managing 

environmental monitoring 

(air quality, noise, surface 

and ground water) and auditing 

within the extractive and 

construction sectors in Ireland. 

She was also the designated 

Safety Officer within the CSA 

Group. 

such as the location of proposed 

new reservoirs and in 

several cases the sharing of a 

source or treatment plant 

between a number of neighbouring 

schemes. For example, 

four GWS – Bofeenaun, 

Rathkell, Lahardaune and 

Derryhillagh – will share 

both a source and a treatment 

plant and, furthermore, they 

are jointly completing the 

NFGWS management training 

programme. 

Because the tenders are 

back from bundle 1, this has 

enabled schemes in bundle 2 

to get an accurate assessment 

of costs on their own projects. 

Schemes scheduled to connect 

to the public mains are 

being asked to procure an 

engineer’s report to establish 

what works are necessary. All 

schemes will be met by 

NFGWS representatives in 

the coming months to assist 

them in moving forward with 

their upgrade plans. 

New appointment to NFGWS Mayo office 

Apart from development 

work within Mayo, Karen 

will play a key role in the 

delivery of health & safety 

training to group schemes. 

Top: Mayo GWS personnel with Minister Roche at the announcement of RWP allocations for 

2005. Bottom: Recently-appointed NFGWS staff member, Karen Mulkeen, pictured with development 

worker Joe Gallagher outside the Federation’s offices in the IRD Centre, Kiltimagh.

Blue Hills Consulting is one of the leading consulting engineers providing technical advice to the Group 

Water Scheme sector. We shall be happy to discuss your Group Water Scheme projects regardless of size. 

Please contact Des Joyce for further information. 

10b Northwest Business and Technology Park 

Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim 

Regional 

Reports 

Northern 

Region 

by Colm Brady, Jean Gibson 

& Brian MacDonald 

Cavan 

The County Rural Water 

Monitoring Committee met 

on 10 March and endorsed 

the detailed proposals put 

forward by the Rural Water 

Liaison Manager, Paddy 

Connaughton, for the 2005 

Rural Water Programme. 

Cavan was allocated a total 

of ¤ 13.65m 

*** 

With an overall allocation of 

¤ 11.5m for DBO works, it is 

clear that this will be the 

major area of activity during 

the year and that 2005 will be 

a monumental year for the 

Rural Water Programme in 

the county. The three DBO 

projects are scheduled to be 

completed by year end and 

this will see the quality issue 

dealt with for all Cavan GWS. 

West Cavan: 

The completion date for this 

project was 1 March 2005 

and at the last steering group 

meeting on 2 March it was 

reported that the work was 

substantially complete. The 

final Process Commissioning 

Phase is unable to proceed on 

some of the plants due to the 

fact that three phase ESB 

power supplies have not yet 

been provided. This is a disappointing 

situation for the 

GWS involved. It is all the 

more frustrating given that 

the ESB was paid in full for 

these installations in June and 

July of 2004. 

Tender documents are currently 

being prepared for a 

project to have universal 

metering installed on the 

schemes that have yet to be 

metered. This project is now 

a priority for those group 

schemes and it is hoped that 

T: 071 962 1875 

F: 071 962 2859 

19 

the project can be advanced 

with no delays. 

East Cavan: 

While the completion date of 

24 July 2005 for this project 

is still achievable, there have 

been a number of delays 

throughout the construction 

phase regarding sectional 

completion dates. Such 

delays do not inspire confidence 

in the overall project. 

It is important that GWS 

Boards are provided with 

realistic target dates for the 

completion of various phases 

of the project. Much work is 

ongoing in this project and a 

number of the Mechanical 

and Electrical installations 

are substantially complete. 

It would appear that the delay 

in providing three phase 

power supply by the ESB has 

the potential to hold back the 

Process Commissioning on a 

number of the schemes. As 

with West Cavan, these supplies 

have been paid for in 

full for some time now. 

W: www.bluehills.ie 

E: info@bluehills.ie 

South West Cavan: 

The contract with EPS was 

signed in December and 

detailed designs for the various 

plants are now being 

completed. Construction is 

expected to commence on 22 

April. The overall completion 

date for the project is 23 

December 2005 with the 

Kiltale, County Meath, plant 

due to be completed on 7 

October. 

At this stage it is not expected 

that additional electrical 

power will be required on 

any of the sites and this 

should mean that the delay in 

obtaining ESB connections 

will not effect this project. 

Tobin Consultants are currently 

assessing 13 tenders submitted 

in respect of a universal 

metering contract for the 

schemes involved in this bundled 

project. This contract will 

have a 20-week completion 

period and it is expected to be 

finished well in advance of the 

DBO project.

Construction of a 12km trunk 

main linking the Gartylough 

and the Bruskey/Killadoon 

schemes commenced on 21 

March. This particular contract 

is due to be completed 

on 4 September 2005. 

*** 

Work is ongoing on a number 

of contracts outside of DBO 

in the county. The 

Castlerahan/Mountnugent/ 

Munterconnaught scheme is 

the largest of these and it is 

progressing steadily. It is 

hoped that the next phase of 

this project will soon be 

going to tender. 

Cavan Federation AGM 

The rural water sector in 

County Cavan drew down 

¤ 18 million investment in 

new infrastructure in 2004, a 

whopping ¤ 6 million more 

than the package allocated to 

the county for the year and by 

far the largest spend in any 

county under the Rural Water 

Programme. This was the 

heartening message delivered 

to the 34 delegates from 16 

GWS who attended the 

Annual General Meeting of 

Cavan Federation of Group 

Water Schemes, in the Lavey 

Inn on Thursday 27 January. 

Federation Chairperson, 

Michael Mulvey, acknowledged 

the efforts of staff in 

Cavan County Council in 

accessing unprecedented levels 

of funding for rural water 

upgrades throughout the 

county. In particular, both Mr 

Mulvey and Federation 

Secretary, Paddy Gill, paid 

tribute to the work of the late 

John Collins as well as the 

new Rural Water Liaison 

Officer for the County, Paddy 

Connaughton and also 

Tommy Costello and Majella 

Sheridan. Both Mr 

Connaughton and Mr 

Costello attended the AGM, 

as did Colm Brady and Jean 

Gibson on behalf of the 

National Federation of Group 

Water Schemes. 

In contrast to the enormous 

progress being made in 

addressing the problem of 

poor quality drinking water, 

Mr Mulvey told delegates 

that the monitoring regime 

for water suppliers remained 

totally unsatisfactory during 

2004. There were, he said 

‘continuing delays in communicating 

results, especially 

bacteriological failures, to 

the relevant GWS’, and he 

added that it was ‘not good 

enough’ that such results 

were forwarded to the relevant 

scheme ‘three, four and 

five months after the sample 

was taken’. 

Pointing out that the area of 

monitoring was once again 

the responsibility of the local 

authorities, he revealed that 

Paddy Connaughton would 

be consulting with the GWS 

sector when finalising plans 

for the Cavan Rural Water 

Monitoring Programme, 

adding that it was intended to 

set up a small sub committee 

for that purpose. On the topic 

of managing schemes into 

the future, he urged GWS to 

seriously examine the option 

of putting paid managers in 

place to carry out day-to-day 

management functions on 

Top: Michael Mulvey, Paddy Gill and Paddy Connaughton pictured 

at the County Cavan Federation AGM. 

Bottom: Jean Gibson of the NFGWS with committee members of 

Bunnoe GWS at their recent AGM. 

Facing page top: Billis-Lavey GWS committee members who 

completed the NFGWS management training course. 

behalf of the committee. He 

also urged smaller schemes 

to examine the possibility of 

appointing ‘shared’ man- 

20

Monaghan 

Speaking to a large attendance 

of GWS delegates at 

the Federation AGM in 

Castleblayney Enterprise 

Centre on Wednesday, 27 

January, Chairperson Joe 

Martin said that the sector 

had seen ‘a remarkable turnaround 

from the situation 

back in 1997 when this 

Federation was established 

and Monaghan was at the 

bottom of the league when it 

came to water quality’. Mr 

Martin continued: 

‘The progress of recent years 

has been down to our willingness 

to work together and 

to build the close partnership 

arrangement that exists with 

Monaghan County Council, 

the Department and with the 

other stakeholders in the 

rural water sector. 

‘During 2004, virtually all 

group schemes in the county 

completed the NFGWS 

Management Training course 

as well as FÁS Safe Pass 

training. Mr Martin pointed 

out that in 2005, ‘each 

scheme should be trained to 

implement the Quality 

Assurance Scheme on offer 

from the National 

Federation’. And pointing to 

the imminent introduction of 

licensing under the new 

Water Services legislation, 

Mr Martin said that in his 

view ‘Monaghan group water 

schemes need have no fears 

on this matter’. But he continued: 

‘It is vital, however, 

that we maintain our high 

standards and further professionalise 

our operations’. 

Referring to the National 

Source Protection Pilot 

Project at Churchill & Oram, 

he pointed out that one of the 

proposals emerging from that 

project is that ‘a tailored 

REPS scheme be provided to 

farmers along water courses 

that supply a drinking water 

source’. If approved, he said, 

‘this will mean that a farmer 

will be supported in adopting 

three of the REPS measures 

that relate specifically to 

preventing water pollution, 

while otherwise continuing 

normal farming activity’. 

In conclusion, Mr Martin 

urged the group schemes of 

Monaghan to focus on ‘wider 

management issues’ and to 

consider forming umbrella 

co-operatives similar to that 

established in West Cavan 

last year. The question for 

group schemes going forward 

was how to meet the 

need for cost-effective and 

increasingly efficient management 

structures ‘and still 

retain the essential community 

-based and democratic ethos 

that underpins our co-operative 

ventures’. 

*** 

On Wednesday 27th January 

a Meeting of the Liaison 

Monitoring Committee 

(LMC) for the Monaghan 

DBO bundle took place at 


Centre. 

A Direct Debit system for 

payment of the O&M 

Invoices has now been established 

by most of the 

schemes in the O&M phase, 

with the remaining schemes 

to follow suit when brought 

fully into operation. 

A progress report was presented 

by Matt Kelly from 

Veolia, giving an update on 

each of the treatment plants 

in the bundle. At present 7 of 

the 13 schemes have been 

brought fully into operation, 

the most recent being 

Corduff/Corrachara GWS on 

19 January. 

Issues discussed at this 

meeting included insurance 

for GWS and the ongoing 

problems and delays with 

ESB connections. The next 

LMC meeting is scheduled 

for Wednesday 27 April. 

*** 

A Steering Group meeting 

for the Monaghan DBO pilot 

project was held on Monday 

31 January. To date work has 

commenced at all sites and 

the planned end of construction 

for the 13 schemes 

involved is early June 2005. 

There was a large and representative 

attendance of GWS 

activists at the Monaghan 

Federation AGM in 


Centre in January. 

21

Leinster Region 

by Barry Deane & 

Joe Gallagher 

Tender documents for the 

South Leinster DBO bundle 

were forwarded to shortlisted 

contractors on 21 February. 

Contractors will have a threemonth 

tender period and 

client’s representative T. J. 

O’Connor & Associates will 

have the role of evaluating 

each submission. The contract 

will then be awarded to 

the most economically 

advantageous bidder for the 

entire bundle which now 

consists of 21 GWS and 19 

PWS. It is anticipated that the 

contract will be awarded at 

the end of this summer. 

It had been hoped that the 

tender documents could have 

been issued to the contractors 

before Christmas. However, 

there were some concerns 

regarding the results from the 

final suite of tests carried out 

on all water supplies in the 

bundle and, in particular, the 

reported presence of nickle 

on some water supplies. 

Thankfully, this report was 

disproved following further 

testing. 

*** 

Site visits were organised 

over three days between the 

14 and 16 March for prospective 

bidders on the DBO bundle 

. This was followed on 21 

March by an ‘open day’ at 

two venues (Carlow and 

Wicklow), where planners 

and engineers from all the 

south east local authorities 

were on hand to answer 

queries from contractors in 

relation to specific sites. 

Carlow & Wexford 

Carlow Federation of GWS 

held its AGM on 17 February 

in Leighlinbridge Community 

Centre. GWS from Wexford 

were invited to the meeting 

as there was no Federation 

active in the county. 

Following a constructive and 

very positive meeting, it was 

decided that group schemes 

from both counties would 

meet more often as the 

Carlow & Wexford Federation 

of GWS. 

A number of issues were discussed 

on the night and the 

meeting put forward three 

motions for discussion at the 

NFGWS Annual Delegates 

Conference (ADC) regarding 

securing and increasing the 

annual subsidy for GWS and 

the location of meetings associated 

with the NFGWS. All 

three motions were carried. 

Federation chairperson, 

Patrick Farrell welcomed the 

GWS that attended and said 

he looked forward to working 

with schemes from 

Wexford in the future. 

*** 

Seán Clerkin, National Coordinator 

with the NFGWS, 

recently visited a number of 

schemes in the southeast 

including Ballinabranna GWS 

in Carlow and their neighbours 

from Castlewarren 

GWS in Kilkenny. He was 

very impressed with the work 

that had been carried by both 

schemes and especially the 

rigorous monitoring programme 

maintained on a 

daily basis by Jimmy 

Townsend, maintenance man 

on Ballinabranna GWS. 

*** 

Following a series of meetings, 

Blackstairs GWS and 

Templeudigan GWS have 

agreed that amalgamation of 

their schemes would be a 

positive move for all parties 

concerned. Both these 

schemes are entering into the 

South Leinster DBO bundle 

and will be sharing a treatment 

plant under this contract. 

The committees are 

hoping to meet in the coming 

months to discuss amalgamation 

proposals. 

Kilkenny 

Kilkenny Federation of GWS 

held its AGM on 16 February. 

Many issues were discussed 

on the night and the schemes 

Larry Wickham and John Ryan represented the recently formed joint Carlow & Wexford 

Federation at the NFGWS Annual Delegate Conference. 

that attended took the opportunity 

to put forward three 

motions to the ADC. 

Concern was expressed 

regarding the security of 

funding for schemes not in 

DBO bundles and their 

exclusion from water conservation 

grants. The increasing 

running costs associated with 

all schemes in the county was 

also an issue. The three 

motions submitted to the 

ADC were carried. 

*** 

At the last local Rural Water 

Monitoring Committee meeting 

in Kilkenny, Anne Marie 

Walsh announced her departure 

from Rural Water and 

introduced the committee to 

Michael Delahunty, the new 

Liaison Officer. Best wishes 

to both on their new positions. 

Laois 

At the AGM of Laois FGWS 

on 2 February concern was 

expressed by Federation 

Chairperson & NFGWS 

Board member Jimmy Walsh 

at the level of attendance at 

such meetings by group 

schemes in the county. 

However, Laois continues to 

be one of the strongest supporters 

of the Federation in 

the South East (based on payment 

of affiliation fees) and 

the meeting proved to be very 

informative for those that did 

attend. A motion regarding 

Capital Grant Aid for GWS 

submitted to the ADC was 

carried. 

*** 

Ballypickas GWS, new 

members of the Federation in 

2004, and Ballacolla GWS 

held their AGMs early in the 

new year. Ballacolla GWS 

has decided to proceed with 

universal metering and the 

committee hopes this will be 

dealt with later this year, 

along with advance works. 

*** 

Heath GWS committee 

members are currently completing 

the NFGWS management 

training course. 

22

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23

Kildare & Wicklow 

Following a series of meetings 

between Wicklow 

County Council and schemes 

in the county over the past 12 

months (and because of very 

poor quality water in some 

part of the county) a number 

of schemes have decided to 

connect to the public mains. 

The GWS considering the 

move include four schemes 

in the Blessington area and 

three in the Wicklow town 

area. These GWS will hold 

meetings with their members 

to discuss the proposed 

takeovers. 

*** 

Askanagap GWS is the latest 

scheme in Wicklow to form a 

co-operative. The scheme 

made the decision at its AGM 

in January. A number of other 

schemes in the county are 

also considering adopting the 

co-operative structure. 

*** 

Best wishes to Clodagh 

Lyons, who held the position 

of Liaison Officer with 

Kildare County Council but 

has now moved to a new 

position within the Council. 

No doubt her successor 

Damien McNulty will prove 

equally active in working 

with the group schemes sector 

in the county. 

Committee members of Multyfarnham GWS, County Westmeath, who recently completed the 8- 

Offaly 

The Offaly Federation of 

Group Water Schemes held 

its AGM in early February. 

Joe Gallagher of the NFGWS 

presented an overview of 

activity in the rural water sector. 

Also discussed were the 

EPA results for the county, 

the New Drinking Water 

Regulations and the Water 

Services Bill. 

The issue of training was 

dealt with and the schemes 

present were asked to complete 

a survey sheet and to 

outline a particular type of 

training that would be of 

interest, so that targeted 

courses can be organised. 

Offaly Federation put for- 

module NFGWS Management Training Course. 

ward two excellent motions 

for the Annual Delegate 

Conference; one was in relation 

to grant aid for water 

treatment equipment and the 

other related to the annual 

GWS subsidy. 

*** 

Offaly Rural Water 

Monitoring Committee met 

in early March. Discussed at 

the meeting was the RWP 

grant allocation for 2005. A 

large amount of money was 

allocated for a feasibility 

study on the Design Build 

and Operate concept for the 

county’s GWS. Following 

some discussion, it was suggested 

that schemes be met 

on an individual basis to further 

investigate the DBO 

concept. 

Also discussed at the RWMC 

meeting was the importance 

of schemes considering 

upgrading to contact Stan 

McKeon of Offaly County 

Council. He will have an 

engineer’s report drawn up 

for the proposed works and 

this will enable the county to 

draw down more money for 

GWS upgrading works in the 

years ahead. 

Westmeath 

In preparation for the New 

Water Services Bill, 

Multyfarnham GWS completed 

the NFGWS 

Management Training course 

early this year. 

The scheme consists of well 

over 200 members and is 

expected to grow significantly 

in the future. New committee 

members elected at the 

last AGM were very well represented 

at training, with 9 

committee members attending 

on most nights. 

As the scheme was set-up 

over 25 years ago, the committee 

is now moving forward 

with plans to meter and 

upgrade the network and to 

this end it has placed an 

annual charge on members to 

help fund the required works. 

Multyfarnham GWS has 

appointed a Health and 

Safety manager to deal with 

the day to day running of the 

scheme and to make sure that 

their Safety Statement is 

being implemented. 

All in all, this is a committee 

dedicated to improving their 

scheme, confident that the 

broad membership will assist 

them in their endeavours. 

Longford 

At the recent meeting of 

Longford RWMC, outgoing 

Liaison Officer, Brian Ross 

outlined the position for the 

coming year and welcomed 

the additional ¤550,000 allo - 

cation received under the 

RWP allocations. 

In relation to capital projects, 

Fostra GWS is awaiting final 

certification, while a consultant 

has been appointed to tender 

out a chlorination project 

on Clonmore/Kilmore GWS. 

An upgrade design is being 

prepared to connect Ardagh 

GWS to the public mains, 

while the work of connecting 

Forgney GWS to a public 

supply is ongoing since last 

December. Management on 

Cartronlebagh GWS have 

been requested to produce a 

Consultant’s report as soon as 

possible to address their 

major problem with deficient 

water quality. 

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24

Southern 


by David Murphy 

New monitoring committees 

have been put in place in 

North Cork and Kerry. The 

Kerry committee will be 

working under the chairmanship 

of Michael Cahill, while 

the North Cork committee is 

being chaired by Kevin 

O’Keeffe. The plan of action 

for North Cork will see all 15 

privately-sourced schemes 

providing quality treated 

water to their consumers. 

Similarly, Kerry expects to 

largely resolve its rural water 

quality problems in 2005. 

*** 

As we go to press, we are 

informed that Kerry’s Rural 

Water Liaison Officer, 

Bernadette McArdle is taking 

up a position with Monaghan 

County Council and that 

Charlie O'Leary is replacing 

her as Liaison Officer. We 

wish them both well in their 

new positions. 

*** 

Limerick Federation AGM 

The AGM was once again 

held in the Woodlands Hotel, 

Adare. Tony Prendiville, 

National Secretary outlined 

in detail the progress in the 

DBO project. A report was 

given by Peggy Barry 

County Secretary that John 

Hennessy and Kevin Hanley 

were the new delegates to the 

county Rural Water 

Monitoring Committee. John 

Hennessy, Brian Ruttle and 

Austin Cregan were selected 

as delegates to the NFGWS 

annual delegate conference 

and motions were agreed and 

submitted. Kevin Hanley, 

Peggy Barry and Austin 

Cregan were elected chairperson, 

secretary and treasurer 

respectively. 

Tipperary Federation AGM 

The AGM of Tipperary GWS 

Federation took place in the 

Abbey Hotel, Nenagh in 

early February. The chairperson 

expressed delight at the 

very high quality and safety 

of product being supplied by 

group schemes in Tipperary. 

The training course for group 

operatives in October 2004, 

organised by the training 

office in Roscrea and the 

staff of the rural water office 

of Tipperary County Council 

had been a tremendous success. 

This indicated the commitment 

of the group 

schemes to the future. A 

motion in relation to combined 

insurance was submitted 

to the ADC. Liam 

Gleeson was to travel as 

county voting delegate. 

Farran completion 

Farran group scheme in 

South Cork is nearing completion 

. The same contractor, 

Cro-Bar will then move in to 

complete the upgrade of 

Carrignadowra in Ballingeary. 

The council is also proceeding 

to take over and upgrade 

Quarry Hall, in Grenagh. 

Work on Ballykilty and 

Clonpriest in East Cork 

should begin in a few months. 

*** 

Congratulations are to be 

extended to Cork North 

water services for the design 

and provision of a leaflet for 

consumers on privatelysourced 

drinking water supplies. 

It is an excellent guide, 

written in plain English and 

with colour illustrations. 

*** 

A large amount of work is 

being undertaken in the 

upgrade of several Cork 

schemes. Downing, Graigue, 

Caherdrinny, Clashaganniv, 

Tankardstown and Kilally are 

upgrading sources, disinfection, 

pumphouses and reservoirs. 

Caherduggan is a new 

scheme under construction. 

Limerick pre works 

Preworks in Limerick are in 

full swing. New mains are 

being laid, new reservoirs 

being provided and all DBO 

schemes that wish to install 

metering are doing so. 

The final four tenders 

received for the DBO bundle 

were recently evaluated. The 

award of the contract should 

become known to schemes in 

a month or two. This will 

result in work being able to 

commence by summer. 

25

Western 


by Joe Gallagher & 

Sinéad Higgins 

Roscommon 

Roscommon Federation of 

Group Water Schemes met in 

Strokestown in February. The 

Chairperson of Roscommon 

Federation and NFGWS 

Board Member John Heslin 

gave a detailed report of what 

had happened during the previous 

year. 

Seán Clerkin, National Coordinator 

of the NFGWS was 

present to address the 

progress to date on the 

Chlorination Project along 

with the Roscommon DBO 

Project. 

He emphasised the importance 

of metering for GWS 

entering into a DBO contract 

and encouraged all schemes 

to address this issue. 

Schemes wishing to install 

meters should contact Justin 

Fannon of Roscommon Co. 

Co. who is available to 

advise schemes on metering 

and the costings involved. 

Noel Carroll and Joe 

Gallagher of the NFGWS 

were also present on the night 

and met with individual 

schemes after the meeting to 

discuss matters that had arisen. 

GWS involved in the 

bundle were informed that 

they would be meeting with 

T. J. O’Connor & Associates, 

the Client’s Representative, 

in the coming weeks to discuss 

the design reviews. 

It is understood that the 

Client’s Representatives on 

the Roscommon bundle, T. .J. 

O’Connors and Des Joyce of 

Blue Hills Consulting have 

finished working on the 

Design Review Reports for 

all the Group Water Schemes 

in the bundle. They met 

recently with almost all of the 

schemes in the bundle on an 

individual basis to give them 

an overview of the options 

available to them, and also 

which option was the most 

economical for each scheme 

over the next 20 years. All 

schemes were very understanding 

of the options available 

to them and realised that 

in order to meet the New 

Drinking Water Regulations 

and receive a license to supply 

water that changes will 

have to take place. Meetings 

are organised for the remainder 

of the schemes in the 

coming week. The Client’s 

Representative is now going 

to look at the agreed option 

for each scheme in more 

detail and report back to the 

schemes in the next few 

months. 

It is advisable that other 

schemes in the county keep 

their members informed of 

the up and coming changes in 

their scheme regarding the 

DBO bundle. If required, a 

representative of the NFGWS 

will be available to attend 

these meetings to clarify the 

DBO process to the Group 

Water Schemes members. 

Any GWS wishing to organise 

such a meeting, please 

contact Joe Gallagher on 087 

2808471. 

Galway 

Congratulations to John 

Diskin recently-appointed 

DBO Project Co-ordinator in 

County Galway. John will 

spearhead the 3 DBO bundles 

in the county and has already 

been very active ‘on the 

ground’. Several meetings 

have been held to progress 

the bundles. 

*** 

Advance works contract no 1 

commenced on 7 February. 

This involves the construction 

of reservoirs, access 

roads, installation of meter 

boxes, bulk meters and critical 

mains replacement on 14 

GWS in DBO bundle 1. 

O’Kanes Civil Engineering, 

was awarded this contract. 

Site investigation works for 

Advance Works No 2 are 

completed. This contract was 

advertised recently, with the 

closing date for submissions, 

12 May. It includes installation 

of meter boxes and critical 

mains replacement on 

Milltown Community GWS 

and Caherlistrane GWS. 

Twenty-three representatives of Galway GWS visited Cavan and Monaghan to see at first hand how the DBO process works. The 

delegates were hosted by local activists, staff members of the NFGWS and a representative of the DBO contractor, Veolia. 

26

*** 

The closing date for tender 

submissions (treatment) for 

DBO bundle 1 was 16 March 

and Ryan Hanley are currently 

carrying out the tender 

evaluation. The winning contractor, 

costs and treatment 

process will be known in mid 

May. Meetings will be 

arranged thereafter with individual 

GWS to explain the 

winning bid. 

*** 

23 GWS personnel travelled 

to Monaghan and Cavan in 

early February to see at firsthand 

how the DBO process 

works. Representatives of 

Drumgole GWS in 

Monaghan and the nearby 

Mountainlodge GWS in 

Cavan, as well as a representative 

of the DBO contractor, 

Veolia, and staff of the 

NFGWS were on hand to 

answer any and all questions. 

Clearly, this was a beneficial 

exercise, as a number of new 

GWS joined the 2nd DBO 

bundle following this visit. 

They were especially 

impressed with the success of 

the amalgamation on the 

Mountainlodge GWS. Further 

visits will be organised over 

the coming months for interested 

committees. 

*** 

To date, 49 GWS have signed 

up to the 2nd Galway DBO 

bundle, with new GWS being 

added each week. It is essential 

that GWS consider the 

long term future for the GWS 

in terms of new legislation, 

licensing etc and water quality 

of their source. Many 

GWS had thought that disinfection 

was adequate but 

based on experiences in 

neighbouring Roscommon, 

this is evidently not the case 

and now the 21 GWS 

involved in that pilot project 

have signed up to DBO. 

Again, I would urge schemes 

to make contact with 

NFGWS to discuss their 

options and ensure that they 

make an informed decision. 

There won’t be a 3rd bundle 

in County Galway. 

When the DBO concept was 

in its infancy, the issue of 

affordability was an 

‘unknown’, but with each 

contract being awarded the 

affordability of the DBO 

option is becoming increasingly 

evident. 

Annaghdown GWS, 

Kiltiernan GWS, Ballinduff 

Tullira GWS, Peterswell 

GWS and Gortbeg 

Ballinastack GWS are the 

latest additions to the second 

Galway bundle. As we go to 

press, 47 of the 49 GWS have 

been visited by the client’s 

representative, Ryan Hanley 

Consulting Engineers and 

design review reports are 

expected to be completed by 

the end of June. 

It is essential that GWS 

return the required information 

(ie questionnaires and 

meter readings etc.) to Ryan 

Milltown Community GWS 

committee has reacted with 

‘surprise and disappointment’ 

to the renewal of 

protests by some scheme 

members and has said there 

is ‘no way’ that they will 

‘be deflected from their 

‘duty of care to bring treated 

water to local consumers’. 

And according to 

group scheme spokesperson, 

John O’Donnell, the 

organisers of the latest 

protest may have breached 

‘the spirit of a circuit court 

agreement reached last 

November’. 

In a statement responding 

to the latest developments 

and stressing the wish of the 

GWS committee to ‘restore 

good community relations’, 

Mr O’Donnell said that it was 

important that the people 

protesting understood that 

the water quality issue is 

‘being dealt with in a way 

that will benefit the entire 

Mountainlodge GWS chairperson, Eddie Martin (right) welcomes 

veteran Gallagh GWS activist, Joe Gormley, a participant 

in the Galway study trip to Cavan and Monaghan. 

Hanley, to avoid delays. 

An information meeting will 

be held at the end of April or 

beginning of May to outline 

community’. Furthermore, he 

said ‘from the evidence of 

other similar contracts, we 

know that our treated water 

costs will be very affordable 

and the committee will ensure 

that those costs are charged 

fairly and equitably across the 

scheme’. He continued: 

‘Today (Wednesday, 16 

February) is the closing date 

for tenders on the Galway 

DBO bundle in which we are 

taking part. Within the next 

12 months we will have quality 

water flowing through the 

taps of all our consumers and 

we will know how much that 

water will cost over the next 

20 years. The source has 

already been tested and the 

yield is sufficient to meet the 

needs of the community over 

that period. Advance construction 

works will commence 

in the very near 

future. 

‘It is important for people 

to understand that this project 

is approved by the 

progress to date to GWS and 

to keep them updated, which 

is essential. 

Continued on page 30 

Milltown GWS works imminent 

Department, by Galway 

County Council and by the 

members of Milltown 

Community GWS. It is, 

therefore, the only project 

that will receive grant aid. 

Those leading the protest are 

aware of this fact. 

‘Finally, it is important to 

remember that the court 

agreement reached last 

November acknowledges 

that it is our role and, indeed, 

our sole responsibility as a 

duly elected committee of 

management to provide and 

maintain water supplies for 

our members. We are fully 

committed to meeting this 

challenge and we hope that 

those organising the protests 

will step back and consider 

the damage being done. It is 

incumbent on all of us to 

ensure that good community 

relations are restored, developed 

and sustained into the 

future and we will happily 

continue to work with everyone 

to do exactly that.’ 

27

28

North 

Connacht 

by Joe Gallagher & 


Mayo 

The dramatic progress in the 

group water sector throughout 

the county over the past 

twelve months was the main 

theme of the Mayo GWS 

Federation AGM held in 

Castlebar on 19 February. 

The optimism of the meeting 

was somewhat overshadowed, 

however, by reports that 

some group schemes are 

experiencing difficulty in 

persuading a minority of 

members to pay their share of 

upgrade costs and other 

monies owed. 

On this point, the message 

from the meeting was clear; 

debtors face the real possibility 

of legal proceedings 

and disconnection. 

Addressing what he termed 

‘the tremendous work being 

carried out in advancing the 

Rural Water Programme in 

County Mayo’, Federation 

chairperson, Joe Harte 

(Bofeenaun GWS), paid tribute 

to the ‘huge efforts’ of 

Ger Munnelly and Gerry 

Costello of Mayo County 

Council. Their success in 

ensuring that allocated 

monies were spent in 2004 

meant that Mayo got a substantial 

increase in its allocation 

for the coming year. 

Mr Harte informed the 

meeting that with over 40 

GWS in the County taking 

part in one of two ‘bundles’, 

they will get will new water 

treatment plants which ‘will 

ensure that over 7,000 rural 

householders in Mayo can 

look forward to a quality 

water supply within the next 

two years’. 

Advance works, being 

completed before the construction 

of the treatment 

plants themselves, have been 

progressing well on 13 

schemes and construction on 

11 treatment plants is expected 

to start in the coming 

months. The installation of 

bulk meters, universal meters 

and critical mains replacement 

has gone out to tender. 

Mr Harte welcomed recently-announced 

supports for 

metering/water conservation. 

*** 

Sinéad Higgins, Senior 

Development Co-ordinator, 

NFGWS, urged schemes to 

avail of the NFGWS management 

training course. She 

added that two new GWS 

training courses are currently 

being developed by the Water 

Services National Training 

Group (WSNTG) which has 

its newly-expanded Regional 

Training Centre in Castlebar. 

*** 

Non-payment of upgrading 

charges/water rents is proving 

a major headache for committees 

on some schemes and 

there was considerable anger 

and frustration on the issue. 

Joe Harte, reminded the 

meeting that a Cavan court 

had ruled in favour of a 

scheme in an action against a 

defaulter. Sinéad Higgins 

advised that committees have 

a responsibility to their members 

to ensure that everybody 

paid their fair share for the 

successful running of their 

GWS. She recalled that a 

‘disconnection procedure’ 

had been passed at the 

NFGWS conference in 2003, 

adding that this ‘should assist 

GWS in recouping monies’. 

Responding to a suggestion 

that ‘it would be difficult to 

cut off a neighbour’, Joe 

Harte said he wouldn’t consider 

someone a ‘neighbour’ 

if they weren’t paying their 

share of this important community 

resource, owned by 

ALL members. 

*** 

Mary King, Secretary of 

Mayo Federation resigned 

after eight years’ service. She 

was congratulated by the 

meeting on her hard work 

during that time and wished 

every success in the future. 

There was a large attendance in Castlebar on Wednesday, 16 February for the official opening of a state-of-the-art extension to the 

Regional Training Centre. Environment Minister, Dick Roche, TD, was the main guest at the opening which preceded his launch of 

the Rural Water Programme for 2005. 

29

Leitrim 

A DBO steering group meeting 

took place on 3 March. 

Trial drilling has commenced 

on a number of sites on 

Aughnasheelin GWS, 

Ballinagleragh GWS and 

Leckaun GWS to determine 

the possibility of developing 

groundwater sources, where 

surface water sources are currently 

being used. The availability 

of a suitable groundwater 

source would reduce 

treatment costs for the six 

GWS (888 households) 

involved in this DBO bundle. 

Design review reports are 

expected to be completed in 

early May, following the 

results of the trial drilling. 

Advance works – including 

the installation of meters on a 

number of GWS – will also 

be carried out in the coming 

months. 

*** 

The AGM of Leitrim 

Federation took place in early 

February and there was a 

large number of GWS represented. 

The committee elected 

includes Mary Bohan, 

Chairperson, Margaret 

O’Rourke, Secretary and Pat 

Gallagher, Treasurer. Stanley 

Trotter, of Tawnyfeakle GWS 

and Margaret O’Rourke of 

Creevelea Killargue GWS 

were nominated to sit on the 

County Leitrim Rural Water 

Monitoring Committee. 

*** 

Three part private GWS in 

County Leitrim – Gorvagh 

Drumlowan, Gortletteragh 

and Corderry Peyton 

(Extension to Tooman GWS) 

– have recently completed 

the NFGWS Management 

Training Course with their 

trainers Brian MacDonald, 

Colm Brady and Jean 

Gibson. 

be the next county, following 

Monaghan and Cavan to have 

its entire privately-sourced 

GWS sector brought into 

compliance. 

Twelve GWS are involved in 

the DBO projects and 

advance works have now 

commenced on the remaining 

two schemes (ie Drum East 

GWS and Keash GWS). 

*** 

Tenders will be sought for the 

installation of meters on the 

12 DBO GWS in the coming 

weeks. An information 

evening took place on 21 

February, with representatives 

from Sligo County 

Council, the NFGWS, T. J. 

O’Connor & Associates and 

Jennings O’Donovan 

Consulting Engineers on 

hand to explain the costs and 

local contributions required. 

NFGWS development worker, 

Joe Gallagher, assisted a 

number of the GWS present 

in drawing up a financial plan 

to ensure that they remain 

viable and in a position to 

deal with their additional 

operational costs. 

*** 

Two other private GWS 

which were non-compliant 

with water quality standards, 

Ballintogher GWS and 

Ballygawley GWS have connected 

to Sligo & Environs 

Regional Scheme. 

Continued from page 27 

Glynsk and Creggs 

The contract for this DBO 

Project was signed with 

Veolia before Christmas. 

Work has commenced, with 

construction expected to be 

completed this summer. 

Tenders have also been 

received for critical mains 

replacement and installation 

of meters and these contracts 

are expected to commence in 

the coming weeks. The contractor 

was introduced to the 

committee at a special meeting 

in February, which was 

also attended by members of 

Galway County Council and 

the NFGWS. A DBO Steering 

Group has also been formed to 

track progress on this project. 

*** 

Two meetings of Galway 

RWMC have taken place to 

date in 2005. With an allocation 

of ¤ 14 million under the 

RWP, a huge amount of work 

is expected in 2005. 

There are plans to connect 

the following GWS to the 

public mains: 

Balroebuckbeg, 

Bunnahelly/Kilcurrivard, 

Carragh, Cloonlahan/ 

Claremadden, Cloonmore/ 

Killillane, Coolarne, 

Corbally, Garrafrauns, 

Gurteen/Cloonmore, 

Kilbannon, Kilconly, 

Knockbrack and Moy. 

Upgrading works continued 

on the following GWS: 

Corrofin, Gallagh, Killeen 

Poultalloon, Inver and 

Carraig Thia/Baile 

Dhubhloch. Kilchreest, 

Boyounagh Ballyedmond, 

Fountain Hill and Loughwell 

schemes are also due to 

commence upgrading work 

over the coming months. 

*** 

Kilconly GWS completed the 

management training course, 

while a number of other 

GWS are currently being 

trained by well known GWS 

activist, Gearóid de Faoite. 

Clare 

The AGM of Clare 

Federation took place on 17 

February. Issues relating to 

DBO were discussed in great 

detail with the GWS present. 

The Part 8 process was completed 

on 21 February, following 

approval by the members 

of Clare County 

Council. The contract will be 

signed in the coming weeks 

and work is to start thereafter. 

Tender prices have been 

received at this stage and are 

very economical for the 

GWS involved. A number of 

advance works project are 

being progressed in tandem 

with the DBO treatment projects, 

to ensure that the necessary 

infrastructure is in place. 

Sligo 

The 2 DBO bundles in 

County Sligo will be signed 

in a matter of weeks. Despite 

bad press following the most 

recent EPA reports, Sligo will 

Committee members of Gorvagh Drumlowan, Gortletteragh and Corderry Peyton (Extension to 

Tooman GWS) who recently completed the NFGWS Management Training course. 

30

STRUCTURES OF NATIONAL FEDERATION 

OF GROUP WATER SCHEMES 

The National Federation of Group Water Schemes was formally established as a Co-operative Society in 1998. 

OFFICERS 

Brendan O’Mahony Chairperson Noel Carroll Roscommon FGWS 

Michael John Kilgannon Vice-Chairperson John Heslin Roscommon FGWS 

Tony Prendiville Secretary Jimmy Walsh Laois FGWS 

Vincent Farrelly Joint Treasurer Tom Burke Clare FGWS 

Paddy Ward Joint Treasurer John O’Donnell Galway FGWS 

Joe Harte 

Mayo FGWS 

Michael (Mac) Boyd Monaghan FGWS 

Gerald McCarthy Special Advisor 

Seán Clerkin National Co-ordinator Tel.: 047-72766 

24 Old Cross Square Fax: 047-72788 

Monaghan Mobile: 087-2808472 

E-mail: sean@nfgws.iol.ie 

Colm Brady Senior Development Co-ordinator (Training) Tel.: 047-72766 

24 Old Cross Square Mobile: 087-2300214 


E-mail: colm@nfgws.iol.ie 


Senior Development Co-ordinator (Quality Assurance) 

Unit 29, N17 Business Park Tel./Fax: 093-28712 

Galway Rd., Mobile: 087-2930204 

Tuam, Co. Galway 

E-mail: sinead@nfgws.iol.ie 

Barry Deane NFGWS Development Officer Tel.: 0506-28068 

12 Henry Street Mobile: 087-6866099 

Tullamore, County Offaly 

E-mail: barry@nfgws.iol.ie 

Joe Gallagher 

NFGWS Development Officer 

Enterprise Centre Tel./Fax: 094-9381802 

Aiden Street Mobile: 087-2808471 

Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo 

E-mail: joe@nfgws.iol.ie 

Catríona Greaney 

David Murphy 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

NATIONAL CO-ORDINATOR/CEO 

DEVELOPMENT CO-ORDINATORS 

STAFF 

MEMBERS 


Unit 29, N17 Business Park Tel./Fax: 093-28712 

Galway Rd, Mobile: 087-2357157 

Tuam, Co. Galway 

E-mail: catriona@nfgws.iol.ie 


Knockboy Tel./Fax: 021-7336691 

Lissarda Mobile: 087-2997143 

Co. Cork 

E-mail: david@nfgws.iol.ie 

Karen Mulkeen 

NFGWS Health & Safety Officer 

Enterprise Centre Tel./Fax: 094-9381802 

Aiden Street Mobile: 087-2934297 

Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo 

E-mail: karen@nfgws.iol.ie 

Brian MacDonald Research & Evaluation Officer Tel.: 042-9742228 

Boyher, Rockcorry Mobile: 087-2028051 

Co. Monaghan 

E-mail: brian@nfgws.iol.ie 

Jean Gibson DBO Validation Officer Tel.: 047-72766 

24 Old Cross Square Mobile: 087-2509225 


E-mail: jean@nfgws.iol.ie 

Julie Brannigan NFGWS Clerical Officer Tel.: 047-72766 

24 Old Cross Square Fax: 047-72788 


E-mail: julie@nfgws.iol.ie 

Shirley O’Grady 

NFGWS Clerical Officer 

Unit 29, N17 Business Park 

Galway Rd, Tuam Tel./Fax: 093-28712 

Co. Galway 

E-mail: nfgwstuam@eircom.net 

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32

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