Limerick County Council has become the first Irish recipient of a prestigious internationally-recognised quality standard for the delivery of drinking water. The Council has achieved ISO 24512:2007 certification for its management of the Kilmallock Water Treatment Scheme, which serves 2,500 customers in south County Limerick.
The standard is awarded by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI), the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) member body for the Republic of Ireland.
Kilmallock is one of the oldest walled towns inIreland; and the location of the town may have been dictated by water when in the 11th century, when the older 7th century monastery moved from the Hill of Kilmallock to a site alongside the River Loobagh near the present town centre.
The current water treatment plant at Ballingaddy was opened in 1987. The water drawn from the River Loobagh undergoes a full treatment process at one location before being pumped to the reservoir. The plant is currently supplying over 1100 cubic metres or approximately 250,000 gallons per day to the town but has the capability of supplying another 1100 cubic metres day if required. All the processes within the plant are monitored on electronic systems.
Currently, four out of each five houses in County Limerick receive piped water from a Council source. Over the past 20 years the number of houses on mains water has increased at 3% per annum. The County Council also provides support to the Private Group Water Scheme sector through the provision of grants and subsidies, along with technical advice and water quality supervision. Meanwhile, Well Grants are made available for households on private wells who need to upgrade their water supply