CURRENT SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS: 1 April 2020: Removal of the Do Not Drink Notice – see official notice and press release

about kilmaley inagh gws

Kilmaley Group Water Scheme lake 1

who we are

Kilmaley-Inagh GWS was formed in 1973 with an objective of providing a water supply to the homes and farms of the rural parish of Kilmaley.

Initially, both Kilmaley and Inagh were discussing individual schemes and meeting with the Department of Environment. It was evident that it would make sense financially for the two schemes to work together. And so the Kilmaley-Inagh Group Water Scheme was formed.

Water is sourced from Lough NaMinna, which was chosen for its size and location. It is a remote lake with little activity within its catchment. Its natural height means most of the supply is delivered through gravity pressure with little pumping involved.

At its inception the scheme was the largest private scheme undertaken in Europe, catering for about 800 homes. Since then it has grown, and is now the largest scheme in Ireland, with 2006 domestic connections supplying water to the Kilmaley, Inagh and Kilnamona parishes and also to parts of Milltown Malbay, Ennistymon, Lahinch, Corofin, Ennis and Ballyea. The scheme has 250km of water mains, 6 pump houses and 8 storage reservoirs.

The scheme is managed by Noel Carmody, who is the first point of contact in all matters.
Noel Carmody
Kilmaley-Inagh Group Water Scheme
Feighroe
Connolly
Ennis
Co Clare
Tel: 087 2836118
Email: ncarmody@kigws.ie

Kilmaley Group Water Scheme lake 2

membership

Application forms are available to download:
Membership Application Form

JOINING FEES

New connections

Residential / Business €1250

Upon payment of the joining fee the applicant will receive a letter required by Clare County Council Planning Department stating that they have been accepted as a member of the Kilmaley-Inagh Group Water Scheme. If planning is refused the joining fee will be refunded in full.

Successful applications will receive a tapping to the mains supply through a water meter and stopcock on the side of the road at the nearest mains point. Before connection to the mains it is the responsibility of the applicant to obtain a road opening licence from Clare County Council.

Farm Tapping €650
Upon payment of the joining fee our maintenance team will provide a tapping to the mains supply through a water meter and stopcock on the side of the road at the nearest mains point. Before connection to the mains it is the responsibility of the applicant to obtain a road opening licence from Clare County Council.

See our water conservation tips for helpful suggestions in relation to plumbing water troughs.

Development
Applications regarding two or more residential / business connections are regarded as a development and must be considered by the management committee. Please contact the Group Scheme Manager for information.

House Sale/ Transfer
When your property is sold, contact the scheme manager to have your meter read and arrange for your account to be paid up to date. Your solicitor will require a letter from the scheme stating that water charges are fully paid up. You  and the new owner will have to fill out a transfer of membership form to be returned to the scheme manager.

Kilmaley Group Water Scheme lake 3

water charges

All metered connections are on a yearly basis, billed at the end of June / early July.

A free allowance is given on occupied domestic houses within the scheme. An allowance cannot be given on rented accommodation or holiday homes or commercial premises. The allowance is currently 160 m3 per year (160,000 litres) as voted by members at the AGM on 16 May 2018. All usage above the free allowance is billed at the charges set at the Annual General Meeting, currently €0.90 per metre cubed. Unused free allowance is not carried from year to year. Average consumption on a domestic house is 90 to 100m3 per year.

It is imperative you read your water meter regularly as water leakage over a period of time can result in a large water bill.

If you have financial difficulty in paying your bill you should contact the manager, who will work out a payment plan in the strictest confidence.

An arrears management procedure exists for dealing with those refusing to pay, which can result in termination of the connection.

 

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water conservation

Kilmaley Inagh Group Water Scheme lake 4

water wastage

Kilmaley Inagh GWS urges customers to conserve water for essential use only and not to run taps continuously. If you run taps continuously you place increased demand on your water supply. When many people do this,  it depletes the water reservoir reserves in your area and may result in planned shut offs in supply.

Wastage or excessive water use is an offence and persons found to be doing so are liable to prosecution.

Kilmaley Inagh GWS  welcomes any assistance form the public in locating leaks and known water wastage. You can report leakage to 087 2836 118.

Check For Leaks

Leaks are often the reason for unexplained increased consumption. Leaks are most common from water troughs and toilets. They are usually easy and inexpensive to repair.A single leak can waste thousands of gallons of water in a billing period and so it is important to be on the lookout for them.

All water in the scheme is now treated at our plant in Lough na Minna. As a result we are able to deliver clean, high-quality water to every member throughout the scheme. Every litre of water that is treated in the treatment plant must be paid for by the group scheme; therefore every litre of wasted water is wasted money that will hit your pocket come billing time. If you have a leak in your home, farm or business you must repair the problem as a matter of urgency.

Check your meter

Check your meter on a regular basis, perhaps once per month. If your meter is clocking then water is being drawn onto your property from the mains water supply. Check the meter again after 30 minutes; if the meter is still clocking then you need to investigate further. Check all toilets, taps and water troughs for damaged fittings and repair the leak source. If there are no visible signs of a leak, then it is probable that you have a leaking pipe underground. Check for soft ground along your pipe route. If you fail to locate the leak don’t ignore it: call a plumber.

Advice to farmers

Farmers should take particular care to check outhouses and long services into fields and troughs.

Water troughs are often a major source of leaks on farms.  Bursts often occur at the connection point into troughs in freezing weather. Regularly inspect all water troughs on your farm and repair any leaks found. Farmers tend not to visit water toughs for months at a time, particularly if no cattle are drinking from the trough. A serious leak in this trough could go unnoticed for months costing you a lot of money. We would recommend fitting a stop valve to all water troughs so the troughs can be turned off when not in use. This could save you hundreds of euros.

When carrying out any measures to avoid pipes freezing, please ensure that they are carried out in a manner that is safe and does not create a hazard for yourself or for the general public.

In the Home

You may be surprised to read that the average daily water consumption per person in Ireland is over 148 litres! We can reduce the amount we use quite simply, by following these straightforward tips. Water is precious. Let’s conserve it.

10 tips to help reduce water consumption in the home

1 Keep a jug of water in the fridge
Instead of letting the tap run for cold water, fill a jug of water and keep it in the fridge.

2 Use a basin to rinse/clean your fruit and vegetables
Instead of letting the tap run, use a basin to rinse/clean your fruit and vegetables. Then use the leftover water to give your pot plants a drink!

3 Use a bucket of water not a hose
A running hose will use about 9 litres of water per minute. The car will get just as clean using a bucket of water and a sponge as it will with using a hose. So will your windows. Use a watering can instead of a hose to water your flowers and vegetables.

4 Lawns don't need to be hosed
The grass will soon revive when it rains again. Use good mulch on your flowerbeds; this will retain water and so reduce the need to use water from the tap. Remember also that you can use your vegetable preparation water and washing-up water on your flower beds. Use a watering can instead of a hose.

5 Fix leaking taps as soon as you hear them
Remember to check that your home is leak free and fix those dripping taps. Phone and report water leakage from burst pipes to your local authority.

6 Use your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full
A typical washing machine on full cycle uses about 45 litres of water. A dishwasher uses 20 litres. Try to use your appliances onlywhen you have a full load. You will save money and conserve water.

7 Turn off the tap while you are brushing your teeth, shaving or washing your hands
A running tap will dispense up to 6 litres of water a minute. Put water into the sink or a bowl for shaving and washing your hands (and then use the water on the garden).

8 In the shower
Reduce the time you spend in the shower. A power shower will use over 125 litres in less than five minutes (a bath takes 80 litres of water).

9 Know how to turn off your water supply
This could save thousands of litres of water and avoid damage to your home in the event of a pipe burst.

10 Hot drinks
Fill the kettle with enough for your needs, not to the brim. It saves energy too.

Toilet Leak

To check for a leak, remove the top of the tank behind the bowl and put three or four drops of food colouring in the tank water. Don’t flush the toilet for an hour or more if possible. Then check the water in the bowl, if the bowl water has been coloured with the food colouring, you have a leak. This type of leak is usually easy to eliminate by replacing the flapper assembly. If this does not work, consult your hardware store or plumber.

Avoiding frozen pipes

  • Open the attic door to allow heat into the attic.
  • Ensure that there is a gap in your attic insulation immediately under the storage tank – attic insulation should be laid above and around the storage tank, not under it.
  • Leave a light on in the attic close to the storage tank and pipes.
  • Leave heating on for longer than normal.
  • Place a piece of insulation – e.g. carpet or matting – over your external stopcock.
  • If you have an outside tap, insulate it and any exposed pipes with material that does not hold water.
  • Farmers and landowners should carry out regular checks on service pipes to water troughs.
  • If you own or manage a building that is vacant or has been unused for a period – e.g. a school over the Christmas holidays, or a holiday home – open it up and check for frozen and leaking pipes.


unoccupied properties

Drain down the water supply system to avoid problems with bursts due to pipes freezing and damage to the heating system. If you are unsure how to do this on your internal supply system, ask the advice of a qualified plumber.

Alternatively, arrange that the unoccupied property is heated, if only for part of the day, if the water is still connected. Ensure that this heat can get to the water storage tank in the attic by leaving the attic hatch open.

Check your unoccupied property as regularly as possible during the freezing weather, including garages and outhouse,s and respond quickly to any burst pipes by calling in a qualified plumber.

Locate and check your stopcock to ensure that it is working. Stopcocks also need to be insulated with a material that does not hold water. All insulation material must be maintained in a dry state.

Treatment plant

The rear of the water treatment plant at Lough na Minna

the treatment plant at lough na minna

The water treatment plant at Lough Na Minna is operated by EPS Ltd of Mallow under a 20-year DBO contract.

The plant consists of a dissolved air flotation system and a pressure filtration system.

How the treatment is carried out

Raw water from the lake is pumped into the DAF unit on the left of the picture above. Here chemicals are mixed with the lake water that make the solid particles in it stick together.

Sludge scrapers at the Lough na Minna treatment plant

This water then enters the DAF unit where compressed air is pumped at high pressure from the bottom of the tank to the top. This blows the particles to the top where they form a flock, as shown in this photo. This is essentially the dissolved peat being removed from the water.

Scrapers then remove the flock from the top of the tank to a holding tank.

Kilmaley Group Water Scheme lake 2

The remaining water is 80% clean of any dissolved particles. This enters the pressure filters where it is purified and any chemicals used in treatment are removed.

Lough na Minna treatement plant

The water then goes through a carbon filter where taste and odour are removed.

Next the water flows through a UV unit where any cryptosporidium (the parasite that can cause gastrointestinal illness) is neutralised.

Lough na Minna treatement plant

The clean water is chlorinated and pumped to the storage reservoir.

The sludge produced from the treatment process is pumped to a picket fence thickener where the water is removed from it.

Lough na Minna treatment plant, plate and skip

The remaining sludge is pumped to the plate press where it is compressed.

Lough na Minna treatment plant, waste from the treatment

The result is a biscuit-like solid sludge that is taken to landfill.