The majority of Old Mervue residents are not prepared to “fork out thousands of euros” for connection to the new cast iron water distribution system when the Galway City Council is “legally obliged to provide clean water”.
This is the view of Fine Gael councillor Brian Walsh. He has met a number of residents during the course of the past two weeks and “all of them have advised me that they shouldn’t have to pay for the basic right of clean running water”.
The new cast iron distribution system to replace the contaminated lead pipes in Old Mervue is currently under way. However the houses will have to be individually connected to this new system and this will have to be done at each homeowner’s expense.
“I don’t blame the residents,” Cllr Walsh said. “They have had to endure great inconvenience and expense because of lead contamination. It is unreasonable of the Galway City Council to expect householders to fork out thousands of euros to solve a problem that was not of the residents’ making.”
According to Cllr Walsh, the city council is legally obliged to provide clean water to its citizens and the point of compliance is the kitchen tap “not at a stop cock out at the front or back of the house”.
Cllr Walsh believes the matter could be easily resolved if the Government would allow the council divert money from its €12 million water conservation fund to assist householders with the cost of the new connection. The Department of the Environment has been contacted about this but has as yet sent no reply.
Cllr Walsh is now calling on the councillors connected to Government parties to “immediately issue approval of a grant system” for residents of Old Mervue.
