No quick solutions to Dundalk's brown water issue

There will be no quick solutions to the issue of brown water in Dundalk according to Uisce Éireann (Irish Water) officials.

However there are hopes that a pilot scheme currently being trialed could eventually provide a long-term solution.

Last Tuesday the Democrat was invited to take a tour of the Cavan Hill Water Treatment plant just outside Knockbridge which supplies water to Dundalk, as well as north and mid Louth.

Discoloured water has become a familiar sight to many in the town in the last few months, with Uisce Éireann citing elevated levels of manganese in the water supply as the main contributing factor.

The Cavan Hill plant takes water from the Fane River, which has seen a threefold increase in manganese levels since August 2021 according to Ben Tuomey, engineer with the company.

While nobody knows for sure, it is believed this is due in part to increased seasonal temperatures, particularly at night, and is a phenomenon being seen right across Northern Ireland and the U.K. also.

The Cavan Hill Water Treatment Plant. 

While manganese is naturally occurring in the environment and safe at lower levels, it can prove more dangerous at higher concentrations.

However, Uisce Éireann have stressed that water coming from Cavan Hill has been treated appropriately, is tested regularly and is safe to drink once it runs clear.

Upgrades were carried out at the plant three years ago in an attempt to mitigate the issue with Mr Tuomey saying it has resulted in 60% of the manganese being removed from the water.

A new pilot project has recently begun and is scheduled to be completed in October with hopes it may provide a solution. The pilot will see specialised filters trialled to manage the manganese levels and, if successful, will be implemented on a larger scale over the next two years.

“If this is a success, customers can expect to see significant improvement in the second half of 2026 into 2027,” Mr Tuomey said.

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However, if the project isn’t a success, a larger project will have to be implemented, meaning improvements may not be seen until the end of 2028 into 2029.

In the meantime, flushing will still take place with a new “network rehabilitation system” being trialled in Dundalk using high velocity water flow to clean the lining of the town’s cast iron water mains.

Water Operations Lead for Uisce Éireann, James O’Hagan, explained that this process will see water circulated through the network a section at a time via fire hydrants using fire hoses which pass through a fine filter chamber vessel.

It is hoped that this will remove sediment and biofilm without discharging water to drains, with the water returned to the system after the cleaning process.

The project will be initially rolled out in Boyle O’Reilly Terrace, Marian Park, Cluain Enda, Mullacrew and Blackrock.

“There will be no magic bullets but we know it is a problem and everyone here as you’ve seen is working hard to try to fix it,” said Sean Corrigan, Communications Technical Lead with the company.

Mr Corrigan said that Uisce Éireann would endeavour to keep locals affected by the issue updated when possible and acknowledged that many locals have been left frustrated.

“I know that people will be frustrated when they hear that it’s not going to be a quick fix.

“But we’re trying to be honest and open with people and to let them know the problems that we face here, and that we are working towards a long-term solution,” he concluded.