By Peter Ringlever
Lough Eirk
Something we cannot do without is our drinking water.
Without water life on this planet would not exist, water is important to our health
therefore our drinking water must be controlled and managed.
We take it for granted that we have it in abundance and flowing freely from our taps
every time we need it, for ourselves, our animals, our garden and for sanitary purposes.
| I asked the water manager Frank Sheehan to take me to the source of the Kenmare
drinking water and show me how it is collected, treated and distributed to the
Kenmare area and how quality is maintained. Frank picked me up last week and drove me out to the Killarney road from where we went up the mountain by foot, heading for Lake Eirk. I was very happy to be in a reasonable good condition because the 45 minutes walk up hill is not be taken lightly. |
 Crystal clear water |
During the walk up I got more and more respect for the walkers and at the same time
understood the success of the Kenmare walking festival.
When you get to the top ( this was only a small mountain ) the reward is waiting, stunning
views, fresh air, peace, tranquillity and a sense about yourself in this beautiful part of the country.
While walking up you get this feeling of curiosity about the lake and what it is like
when you get to the top ridge, but when we got there I really stood still for a minute
and enjoyed the view over the mountain lake called “ Eirk “.
Stunning views
 Chlorination control | Our drinking water reservoir lies tucked away in a glacier pocket, crystal clear water,
no pollution, no farming, no fertiliser, no litter, no people, just some sheep.
The quality of water in the lake is ideal, with a PH of 6.5 and pollution free the water
is excellent. It is taken by pipe out from the lake to flow into a small brook to the collection point a mile down. At this point the water is screen filtered and piped to a storage buffer tank from where it travels to the control point on the hospital road. In this house a small computer monitors the water and chlorination takes place. Chlorinating the water is done to stamp out bacterial growth and is required by law. This is the only treatment done to the water which already is of high quality. |
The quality control is in first instance done by Frank Sheehan, he walks the water
supply every week, up the mountain, the lake, pipes, and checks for leaks.
On a daily basis he controls the chlorination and once a month a sample is taken and sent off for testing.
The health department also checks the quality once in a while, independent from
the local authorities, all ensuring our drinking water to be what it is today.
Sometimes the water appears “milky” - there is nothing to worry about when this
occurs, air gets trapped in the pipes somehow and comes out via your tap mixed in the
water, this gives a milky effect, when you leave your glass of water rest for a few seconds the air will rise.
 |
 Water intake |
| The only negative thing I found in our water supply is the fact that from the intake at
the Killarney road there is some old piping ( cast iron ). Leaks in this piping sometimes lead to gravel getting into the pipes and give the water a brownish colour on that occasion. £ 1.8 million pound has been applied for to improve the system and in the near future the system will be piped straight into the lake. Screen filters will be improved and quality maintained without occasional leaks. |
 Crystal clear water |
Winter usage is 130,000 gallons a day ( 585,000 liters ).
Summer usage is 220,000 gallons a day ( 990,000 liters ).
This demand will go up in the future together with the expansion
of Kenmare and the expansion of household appliances in use.
It is extremely important that the funding to maintain and to improve the water supply is found and pursued.
If and when the improvements are done the Kenmare water supply will be one of the best in the world.
By the way, I asked Frank what the chances are Kenmare running out of water after a long dry spell.
“ After the improvements of 1984 the water supply is secure
and a drought of 8 weeks should still give us a good water supply... “
On a final note I should add that the Kenmare water supply is coming from two lakes.
The south side of the bridge is fed from Lake Dromougthy and the rest of Kenmare by Lake Eirk.
Both can supply Kenmare, the systems of Kilgarvan, Templenoe and the south side Kenmare
are all connected with valves and in case of demand opened to interconnect.
 |
Peter Ringlever |
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