Climate change blamed for drought in Rathcabbin area

Major issues with water shortages in Rathcabbin and surrounding areas was as result of climate change, Cllr Michael Michael O’ Meara stated at a meeting of the Nenagh Municipal District authority on Thursday last.

He said residents in the area over a long stretch in April had been instructed by the State water company, Uisce Éireann, to boil water before drinking.

“It’s a disastrous situation,” he said.

The water problems supply problem was exacerbated since Tipperary County Council was forced to hand over responsibility for water supply infrastructure to the water company, said Cllr O’ Meara.

He found it very difficult to get answers from the company.

“You are talking to people who do not know where you are talking about when you make a complaint about a water issue,” he said, instancing problems he had raised with the company in specific areas of his parish.

old people impacted

Cllr O’ Meara said older people who did not use information technology were not aware of the boil water notices issued online by the company. “There was no information given out, only on social media and Tippfm.”

The lack of information on the ground had serious health implications for people who were not aware of the situation, he said.

“I knew somebody who was dressing wounds with water and they were not aware of the boil notice.

“A lot of older people do not engage with social media.”

Cllr O’ Meara said the situation was just not acceptable. A population of 1,200 water users had been left without a proper supply, he said.

He attributed the water shortage in the area as being “down to climate change”.

He said the area used to be supplied by two wells. However, one had caved in two years ago and now there was only one well to supply the parish. This had added to the problems.

CONCERN

The lack of water was having a huge impact on the community, he said, particularly the farming sector.

“I know of one farmer with over 200 cows that is depending completely on the supply, and that situation is replicated all over the place.”

Cllr O’ Meara said that if Rathcabbin received a supply from the River Shannon it would resolve issues. People in the area were very concerned.

hopping phone

“My phone is red at the moment from people ringing me asking…”

Speaking last week before the long fine and dry spell of weather ended, Cllr O’ Meara said the local community was praying for rain in the hope that the supply situation might improve.

OTHER OPINION

Cllr Séamie Morris did not believe that the lack of water in Rathcabbin was a result of climate change. “We just had a dry few weeks,” he said.

Cllr Morris, a fierce opponent of Uisce Éireann’s plan to pipe water from the River Shannon to supply the greater Dublin area and Midlands region, added: “There is not enough water in the Shannon for us at the moment without pumping it anywhere else.”

Cllr John Carroll indicated that he was not happy with the performance of the water company.

He said group water schemes all over the country could be taken over by Uisce Éireann. If that happened it could be disastrous for the communities that depend on group schemes. He urged that the company not be given control of group schemes. If they were given control many communities “would feel the ha