The water treatment plant in Carrick-on-Suir is to be automated, but a councillor believes that a local person working there is more valuable.
Due to cloudiness in the water, the area had been under a boil water notice for three and a half weeks from St Stephen’s Day.
Councillor David Dunne queried Irish Water on systems being put in place to prevent this happening again.
He was told that an automatic shut off valve, which would detect cloudiness or turbidity, would be installed, but he told Tipp FM that nothing beats local knowledge and a person on the ground.
“They used to have a full time staff member up there, and they had 24/7 cover, so not only had they a staff member there on a five-day week, but he was also on call.
“The alarm system was rigged up to his phone and he would answer calls immediately and we had never had a boil water notice in all that time.
“I asked what was put in place and now they’re putting in an automatic shut off valve, but we all know that automation, it doesn’t work, we had other issues up there where an alarm didn’t work and it caused another boil water notice.”
He added that he had asked Irish Water if a person will have to travel out to check the treatment plant if the valve shuts off, but said that someone monitoring the plant locally is always favourable to an automated system.
