EPA ups the ante

Rural Water News Autumn 2007
Cavan schemes get
thumbs-up as
County Manager
clears the air
The Chairperson of Cavan
Federation of Group Water
Schemes, Michael Mulvey,
has welcomed an assurance
from County Manager, Jack
Keyes, that he has ‘total
admiration and support’ for
the GWS sector and that
there is no question of any
legal action being taken
against group schemes in
the wake of the recent phenol
contamination incident.
Mr Keyes was addressing
representatives from schemes
across the county, as well as
NFGWS personnel, at an
Monaghan
Magheracloone GWS has
warned its members about
the companies that are selling
unnecessary and expensive
water treatment systems to
their consumers through
pressure sales techniques.
The scheme used its recent
AGM and the ‘local news’
section of the print media to
hammer home the message
that these companies are
operating a scam.
***
Other areas in the county –
most notably Aughnashalvey
– have been targetted lately
by these companies. Over
€2,000 is being spent on
systems, with an additional
maintenance contract costing
€150 annually.
***
Truagh Group Water Scheme
is currently upgrading valves
and chambers along its mains
network.
***
The contract to replace meters
and valves on Tydavnet
emergency meeting on
Monday 23 July.
This followed local media
reports that schemes might be
held legally liable. These
quoted a Council source.
Reassuring those present
that he has ‘absolutely and
utterly no lack of confidence’
in the capacity of group
schemes to conduct their
businesses, Mr Keyes said
that he fully accepted the
‘need for action’ in the wake
of any reports that might suggest
otherwise.
He added that the reported
comments in two Cavan
Group Water Scheme is now
completed, as is the contract
to install bulk meters and
valves on Drumgole GWS.
***
Tenders for the replacement
of meters on
Corduff/Corracharra GWS
were opened on 3 July.
***
Emyvale village in the north
of the county will connect to
the Glaslough/Tyholland
GWS supply this month. This
is the second instance that a
group water scheme in
Monaghan will provide water
to a public scheme.
Last year Drum village was
connected to the Drumgole
water supply.
***
A new publicly-sourced GWS
has been constructed at
Tattyreagh North, near
Annyalla.
***
Killanny GWS is continuing
its attempts to reduce consumption
and leakage. Night
newspapers required both
‘retraction and clarification’.
Annoyance
The meeting in the council
offices was chaired by
Michael Mulvey, who
explained that there was
widespread annoyance at
what had appeared in the
local press. He added:
‘The fact that these comments
were attributed to the
county council could only
have one result: the undermining
of public confidence in
the county’s group schemes.
‘This was all the more disappointing
as the relationship
between the GWS sector and
Cavan County Council had
always been one of partnership
and co-operation.
Unacceptable
Representatives of the
schemes said that the reported
media comments were totally
unacceptable, adding that
individual consumers had
contacted them to voice their
concerns.
time step tests conducted in
one district metered area
revealed numerous leaks that
have now been fixed.
As a result, water demand was
reduced by about 350 m 3 from
2,100 m 3 per day to 1,750 m 3 .
***
There was a lively meeting of
the Liaison Monitoring
Committee on 18 July as
schemes sought reassurance
regarding the phenol crisis that
hit East Cavan DBO bundle.
Three points, in particular,
were put to Richard Dujardin:
1. media allegations suggesting
that Veolia had endangered
human health by
purchasing contaminated
chemicals ‘on the cheap’;
2. fear that a similar situation
might arise in relation to
chemicals used in the
Monaghan plants;
3. the knock-on effect that
these reports were having
consumer confidence.
Responding, Mr Dujardin,
explained that the company
Speaking after the meeting,
Michael Mulvey said:
‘We greatly appreciate the
effort made by the county
manager and his senior officials
to meet with us at such
short notice to address this
issue. The remarks of the
county manager were warmly
received by the GWS activists
present and were welcomed
unanimously.
Activists
Thanking the GWS activists
from across the county ‘who
took time out from their own
busy work lives to be present’,
Mr Mulvey continued.
‘This meeting was designed
to clear the air and to put the
message out to rural consumers
in Cavan that they can
have full confidence in their
group water scheme service.’
An agreed clarification published
in the local papers,
stated unequivocally that the
schemes affected by the phenol
crisis had done everything
legally required of them.
dealt in good faith with its
normal supplier and there
was no question of it taking
risks with consumer health.
Both they and their supplier
had been ‘caught and misled’
and the documentary evidence
confirms this.
Veolia had operated on a
basis of trust with their suppliers.
This would no longer
be the case. Controls had
been put in place to ensure
traceability right back to the
production phase. This meant
that there could be no reoccurance
of the East Cavan
incident in any Veolia-managed
plant.
Mr Dujardin accepted that the
incident had damaged consumer
confidence in the
region.
He pledged that Veolia would
play its part in rebuilding confidence
and concluded by
wishing a local man, Mark
Rooney, well in his new role
as regional manager for the
company.
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