Doohamlet Group Water Scheme.
Introduction
Doohamlet group water scheme supplies drinking water (As defined by the EU) to the residence of the Doohamlet district and the surrounding hinterland. It has 387 members spread over 50 townlands. It’s source is the Toome/Crinkill lake and the water is treated on the lake shore in a state of the art treatment plant and pumped to a reservoir on the highest hill in the locality situated in the townland of Corderryduff. From there the water flows through a distribution network to members.
Introduction
Doohamlet group water scheme supplies drinking water (As defined by the EU) to the residence of the Doohamlet district and the surrounding hinterland. It has 387 members spread over 50 townlands. It’s source is the Toome/Crinkill lake and the water is treated on the lake shore in a state of the art treatment plant and pumped to a reservoir on the highest hill in the locality situated in the townland of Corderryduff. From there the water flows through a distribution network to members.
To report leaks or interruption to the water supply please contact (086)3432513 or (087)6396430
See our History Page for more information about the scheme.
History of Doohamlet Group Water Supply Scheme 1977 – 2009
Background
Following the long dry summers of 1975 and 76 which brought great hardship and inconvenience to the residents and particularly the farming community of the local district it was decided to establish a group water scheme in the Doohamlet area. The inaugural meeting of Doohamlet Group Water Scheme was held on September 30th 1977.
The task of collecting engineer’s fees, choosing a suitable source, acquiring a site for the reservoir, securing way-leaves (permission from land owners) for pipelines etc fell to this committee.
With a connection fee of £550, (in 1977) it wasn’t easy going and there was a low uptake in the early stages. Despite these problems, the work of establishing the scheme continued. A number of water sources and sites for a reservoir were discussed. It was decided that the water from Toome/Crinkill Lake and the reservoir sited at Corderryduff would be the best combination.
The construction Begins
The task of collecting engineer’s fees, choosing a suitable source, acquiring a site for the reservoir, securing way-leaves (permission from land owners) for pipelines etc fell to this committee.
With a connection fee of £550, (in 1977) it wasn’t easy going and there was a low uptake in the early stages. Despite these problems, the work of establishing the scheme continued. A number of water sources and sites for a reservoir were discussed. It was decided that the water from Toome/Crinkill Lake and the reservoir sited at Corderryduff would be the best combination.
The construction Begins
In February 1979 construction began on a pump house beside Toome/Crinkill Lake, on a site secured from the late George Carlew and his wife Sadie. The lake which covers an area of 27 acres and is over 25 feet deep has a capacity of over 30 million gallons. In March 1979 Riversdale Concrete began construction of a 75,000-gallon reservoir at Corderryduff, which is located in the southern end of the Doohamlet area at a height of over 600 feet and approximately 1 3/4 mile from the lake.
On the 23rd April the Contractors- John Connolly and Noel Leer – started work laying the rising main and approximately 25 mile of distribution network, stretching from Killycard to the East to Knocknamaddy on the West and extending from Cremartin in the North to Shean in the South.
The scheme becomes a Co-operative
In July 1999 our scheme was officially registered as a co-operative. Doohamlet Group Water Supply Scheme is managed by a Board of Directors elected from the membership of the scheme at the Annual General Meeting. As new regulations in regard to water quality standards were introduced, it was envisaged that Doohamlet would be supplied with water from the County Council scheme at Kilkitt. However, over time circumstances changed and we were able to join the County Monaghan DBO Bundle Project, which allowed schemes such as Doohamlet to build their own state of the art treatment plants to be managed by a company specialising in water treatment.
In July 1999 our scheme was officially registered as a co-operative. Doohamlet Group Water Supply Scheme is managed by a Board of Directors elected from the membership of the scheme at the Annual General Meeting. As new regulations in regard to water quality standards were introduced, it was envisaged that Doohamlet would be supplied with water from the County Council scheme at Kilkitt. However, over time circumstances changed and we were able to join the County Monaghan DBO Bundle Project, which allowed schemes such as Doohamlet to build their own state of the art treatment plants to be managed by a company specialising in water treatment.
Work began preparing the site for the new treatment plant towards the end of October 2002. The new treatment plant was officially opened on 17th November 2003.
The treatment plant has the capacity to treat 775 cubic meters per day and is operated by an outside contractor Veolia Ireland Ltd who specialises in managing water treatment facilities.
In 2006 a new 180,000-gallon reservoir was constructed at Corderryduff by Shay Murtagh Ltd. With quality water now going through the network, a strategy to introduce effective management of drinking water supplies and to ensure an equitable charging system, all connections both domestic and non domestic have now been metered and all charges are based on meter readings.
Bulk meters have also been strategically located which allows for early identification of leaks in the wider distribution network. Metering has lead to real savings. Similarly householders, farmers and business outlets can use their meters to ensure that water is not wasted and that costs are kept down.
Quality Assurance
A Quality Assurance Training Programme was undertaken by the Board of Directors in early 2007. This provides a standard operations procedure and checklist for group water schemes. It assists in maintaining water quality from the source to consumers tap by putting in a number of control measures. Testing is carried out on a weekly and monthly basis. An approved independent laboratory is used for this work. This is to ensure that the quality falls within the strict guidelines laid down by the European Drinking Water Directive, the Department of the Environment and Monaghan County Council. Monaghan County Council also carries out a random sampling programme on the water supplied by the scheme.
Protecting the source
While Toome/Crinkill lake is the main source of supply to Doohamlet Group Water Supply Scheme, the total catchment area of water supply covers an area of seven hundred hectares. It extends from Lagan in Aughnamullen parish across the R181 Castleblayney to Lough Egish road and follows the valley leading eventually to the lake.
This area covers a range of farming activities and includes a number of busy roads carrying a range of vehicles with possible hazardous loads. The danger of pollution from any of these activities is a constant threat to the Scheme.
In effect careless farm practice or a traffic accident involving a tanker within seven kilometres south or south west of the Toome/Crinkill lake could have a devastating effect on the water supply. Similarly an accident on the Crinkill road which runs adjacent to the lake on the northern shore could have a similar effect.
Protecting the source
While Toome/Crinkill lake is the main source of supply to Doohamlet Group Water Supply Scheme, the total catchment area of water supply covers an area of seven hundred hectares. It extends from Lagan in Aughnamullen parish across the R181 Castleblayney to Lough Egish road and follows the valley leading eventually to the lake.
This area covers a range of farming activities and includes a number of busy roads carrying a range of vehicles with possible hazardous loads. The danger of pollution from any of these activities is a constant threat to the Scheme.
In effect careless farm practice or a traffic accident involving a tanker within seven kilometres south or south west of the Toome/Crinkill lake could have a devastating effect on the water supply. Similarly an accident on the Crinkill road which runs adjacent to the lake on the northern shore could have a similar effect.
Early warning
The best defence against this is early warning of any possible dangers to the source. Members of the public and in particular consumers should contact the scheme immediately on hearing or witnessing any possible contamination to the supply.
The best defence against this is early warning of any possible dangers to the source. Members of the public and in particular consumers should contact the scheme immediately on hearing or witnessing any possible contamination to the supply.
Scheme Membership
Our current membership is 387 with 537 individual connections spread over 50 town lands. To date approximately 1,417 million gallons of water has been pumped around the scheme. Average consumption for 2008 was 126,000 gallons per day,
or 46 million gallons for the year.
The reservoir, rising main and distribution lines are managed and maintained by the Board of Directors. Meters are read quarterly and bills issued half yearly. Repairs to the network are carried out as a matter of urgency with limited disturbance to the consumers on the branch concerned.
Conservation
Conservation of water is a major concern for the scheme as every litre passing through the network costs money to treat and supply. In addition there is the danger that the source may run dry during a prolonged dry period.
It’s important for us all to protect and conserve our environment. Wastage of water places an unnecessary burden on energy demands used to pump the water to the reservoir and then to treat the excess wastewater.
Our current membership is 387 with 537 individual connections spread over 50 town lands. To date approximately 1,417 million gallons of water has been pumped around the scheme. Average consumption for 2008 was 126,000 gallons per day,
or 46 million gallons for the year.
The reservoir, rising main and distribution lines are managed and maintained by the Board of Directors. Meters are read quarterly and bills issued half yearly. Repairs to the network are carried out as a matter of urgency with limited disturbance to the consumers on the branch concerned.
Conservation
Conservation of water is a major concern for the scheme as every litre passing through the network costs money to treat and supply. In addition there is the danger that the source may run dry during a prolonged dry period.
It’s important for us all to protect and conserve our environment. Wastage of water places an unnecessary burden on energy demands used to pump the water to the reservoir and then to treat the excess wastewater.
Conservation ideas
Some simple measures to conserve these scarce resources are easy to follow but never the less very effective.
Informing the scheme of any leaks on the distribution network is an effective way of saving large volumes of water. This is noticeable by large wet patches on the road during a dry spell. In some severe cases the water may be seeping from the road. Don’t assume someone else will inform the scheme, contact the outdoor staff – their phone number appears on the head of the bill received twice yearly.
Farmers should regularly check their cattle drinkers and on farm distribution network for possible faulty joining. This is particularly important just after a period of frosty weather.
By placing a full half litre bottle of water in your cistern, the average household can save three and a half thousand litres of water per year. Placing two bottles would save twice this amount and would result in a total saving to the scheme of over a million litres per annum.
Other water saving ideas includes not leaving the tap running while brushing your teeth. Leaving it running results in each brushing wasting around thirty litres.
Always make sure the dishwasher and washing machines are fully loaded before completing a wash cycle. These machines use on average fifty litres per wash.
Placing a jug of water in the fridge eliminates the necessity to run the tap to get a cool refreshing drink.
Having a shower uses approximately thirty-five litres whereas a bath uses seventy litres. Replacing the daily bath with a shower could result in a saving of twelve thousand litres per annum.
If we all just do a little to conserve our precious resources it adds to a lot, and hopefully results in a cleaner safer environment for generations to come.
