Saturday, February 15, 2025

Westmeath faces water supply crisis

At the present time, water levels in Lough Owel are at least two and a half feet below what is normal, Westmeath Topic confirmed this week, and photographs taken by Topic over the past five months provide the proof of this, as businesses in Moate on Saturday and Sunday were seriously hit when water was cut off, after a pipe burst in Ballynacargy.
In recent weeks, Irish Water appealed for conservation of water in Westmeath, because of the low Lough Owel levels, but when a serious water problem arose in Ballynacargy last weekend, the national body could not be contacted, and Westmeath County Council had to intervene and switch off water, causing serious problems in Moate and other south Westmeath areas.
Lack of sufficient rain since January last, with the total rainfall since January 1st far lower than the amount that fell in the same period in 2016, is partly to blame for the dangerously low level of water in Lough Owel up to this week.
The lake, just 4 kms north of Mullingar, about 2,500 acres (1,011 hectares) in size, provides Westmeath’s most important and finest water supply and accounts for a large percentage of the drinking water in the county, in addition to supplying all of Mullingar. Mostly supplied by springs, the Owel water is renowned for its quality.
LOW RAINFALL LEVELS
In the five months from January to the end of May this year, the monthly rainfall levels in Westmeath were 41.4mms, 75.2mm, 83.7mm, 14.1mm, and 70.7mm respectively, a total of 285.1 mms of rain in total, which amounts to 9.6 inches.
In the same five months of 2016, the levels were 121.9mms, 111.8mms, 58.2mms, 91.2mms and 61.6mms, a total of 444.7 millimetres of rainfall, about 17.5 inches, which is far higher than this year’s total.
Bear in mind that many millions of gallons of water from Lough Owel are being used each week by water consumers, in addition to the millions which must go to supplying the Royal Canal, and also the Fish Farm at Cullionbeg.
Irish Water has put notices on websites in recent months, and as recently as three weeks ago, encouraging the Westmeath public to conserve water, but understandably the local authorities have not intervened, nor have public representatives talked about taking measures to avoid wasting drinking water by washing cars, flushing toilets unnecessarily, or otherwise wasting water. The reality appears to be, unless conservations measures are shortly taken at a local level, there will be a serious water crisis.
Lough Owel is acknowledged to have the best natural water supply in the midlands, but the few natural streams are very low, while the Brosna flows through the lake from Bunbrosna, emerging at The Ramparts, in the Levington area and flowing on through Robinstown, and through Mullingar, to Lough Ennell, which it also crosses, then continuing on to the Shannon via Kilbeggan. In addition, the lake provides the supply for the Royal Canal and is also the source of a supply to the Fish Farm at St. Brigid’s Well.
Experienced anglers have been expressing concerns about dropping water levels for months, but the rain has not come.
WATER FROM
SHANNON?
Another new cause for concern among those who hold strong views about Lough Owel, is what appears to be little heard-about plans to bring a supply of water from the River Shannon across Westmeath, to supplement Lough Owel’s supply. Whether this would go to Lough Owel, or into the reservoir isn’t clear at present.
Topic has sought details, but so far can only confirm that there are definitely plans in place to bring water by pipeline from the Shannon to Lough Owel, with landowners west of Mullingar having been asked about rights of way. Many local anglers and others are annoyed and worried, pointing out that Lough Owel’s water quality is far superior to that in the Shannon, because it comes mainly from powerful underground springs.
Where the springs originate isn’t known, but there are those who maintain that the water in Lough Owel comes a considerable distance, with even one theory – going back more than a century – suggesting that the Owel water supply comes from the mountains of Wales, in an underground stream beneath the Irish Sea. Whether this is possible, we can’t say, but some anglers maintain there are other examples of similar underground supplies in rivers running underground in several parts of Ireland and in the world.
There are records of various underground rivers in Clare and other counties, which run lengthy distances underground and emerge as huge springs, similar to those existing under Lough Owel – an aspect which swimmers who cross the lake have often confirmed.
IRISH WATER APPEALS
On 17 February last, Irish Water asked people in Westmeath “to conserve water usage for the foreseeable future due to the unseasonably dry weather conditions, resulting in historically low water levels in Lough Owel for this time of year.  The water from Lough Owel is treated at the Portloman Water Treatment Plant and the areas in Westmeath included in the request to conserve water are Mullingar, Ballinacargy, Rathowen, Streete, Lismacaffrey, Rathconrath, Killucan, Coralstown, Kinnegad, Milltownpass, Rochfortbridge, Tyrrells-pass, Kilbeggan, Ballinagore, Gaybrook, Moate, Horseleap, Streamstown and Ballymore,” they stated.
Again, on 15 May, just three weeks ago, Irish Water again appealed for conservation of water in Mullingar and Westmeath, speaking about historically low levels of water in Lough Owel, because of the low 2017 rainfall situation since last winter.

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