Water problem in Dollingstown

IN August 1965 the residents of Dollingstown were without a fresh water supply.

Details of the problem were revealed at a meeting of Moira’s Rural Council when Dr JA Mark, divisional medical officer, said samples from two pumps in the village were found to be unsatisfactory.

Dr Mark advised that until the council took remedial action, people drinking the water should boil it beforehand.

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Mr Victor Mathers recalled that a year before the water in the village pump had been turned down and the council had received an estimate of 60 for the provision of a water tap from the mains.

It had then been decided to clean the well in the hope that it would be serviceable until the re-development scheme was carried out, but apparently this had not helped the matter.

“The village has simply no pure water supply and what we want is a tap in the village and one at the labourers’ cottages,” suggested Mr Mathers, adding he expected it would cost about 30 to provide a tap at the cottages.

Mr GB Thick, engineer, said: “With regard to the labourers’ cottages, the council should take no action but carry on with their plans to have bathrooms erected.”

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In answer to this Mr Mathers commented: “In the meantime the people cannot drink water which the medical authorities have found unsatisfactory. Work on the cottages have taken far too long already.”

Mr George McCarthy said he felt the people of Dollingstown had certainly been in need of a decent supply of water for a long time.

He thought 60 was an exorbitant price to pay for one tap in the village and suggested that perhaps the council could employ direct labour to carry out the work.

The erection of this particular tap meant digging up the asphalt surface of the main trunk road, it was pointed out.

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Mr Thick said that his office had carried out a survey on the erection of a similar tap at Waringstown by direct labour and had found there was little difference in the price quoted by a contractor.

The council finally agreed that two taps should be provided at Dollingstown and instructed the engineer to obtain the lowest possible price for the work.

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