Waterford Fine Gael Senator and General Election candidate John Cummins, raised serious issues with a lack of water pressure in Lismore, Co. Waterford in Seanad Eireann this week, describing the situation as intolerable for residents who are struggling to have showers at peak times due to a lack of pressure.
Senator Cummins said “While campaigning for the upcoming general election in Lismore last weekend, the number one issue which residents raised was a lack of water pressure which is impacting people’s ability to take showers in the mornings and evenings. These leaks need to be addressed as a matter of urgency because it is simply unacceptable that residents of such a large area would be impacted to such an extent as not being able to have showers due to a lack of water pressure, it’s just not acceptable”.
Senator Cummins added “Ongoing reports by both Cllr. Niamh O’Donovan and I don’t seem to be actioned by Uisce Eireann. Residents are reporting that works are being carried out to the roads but the underlying issue of leaks under the roads are not being addressed. I saw it first hand myself on Saturday, it was a dry day and yet water was running down the main street. Clearly this is impacting water pressure and it needs urgent attention by Uisce Eireann”.
“A separate but associated issue which I have been raising consistently is a lack of redundancy on the pump system which results in periodic outages. Uisce Eireann have stated this is being addressed but the two issues combined is resulting in an intolerable situation for residents and businesses.
Senator Cummins concluded by saying “Government have allocated Uisce Eireann an additional €750 million for 2025 from windfall corporation tax receipts. As an organisation they must focus on streamlining their processes and systems to address issues in a more timely fashion than is the case presently. That goes for leaks, connection agreements and delivery of infrastructure such as waste water treatment solutions. While I acknowledge staffing constraints, the processes and systems that are being deployed are simply too slow”.