Sir, – Watching the swallows sitting on the roof of my house, I wondered were they feeding their latest hatchlings or were they wondering if they had come to the wrong country. – Yours, etc,
DAVID MURNANE,
Dunshaughlin,
Co Meath.
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Sir, – We won’t be really saving water until RTÉ resurrects its old water-saving advertisement and we watch once more the goldfish floundering at the bottom of its empty bowl! – Yours, etc,
KATHLEEN KELLEHER,
Greystones,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – People before Profit succeeded in stopping Irish Water from charging for water usage. Charging for water would undoubtedly have cut water usage and consequently have alleviated the present problem.
I note that they are keeping a low profile during the present crisis! – Yours, etc,
DON HARTE BARRY,
Cork.
Sir, – Just think how things could have been if Irish Water concentrated on repairing the network as a priority rather than paying itself bonuses. – Yours, etc,
AVRIL HEDDERMAN,
Stillorgan,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Recently overheard in a conversation: “Don’t worry, your grass will turn green again once the weather improves.” – Yours, etc,
FRANK E BANNISTER,
Dublin 4.
Sir, – To operate the Lisheen (Co Tipperary) mine safely during its 15-year lifetime, a staggering 100 million litres per day was pumped out on average from the overlying aquifer in order to lower the water table to below the mine workings, creating a dewatered “cone” about 1km in diameter.
This same aquifer extends for a very large area around the Nore basin and is hardly affected by domestic and local authority groundwater wells. The quantity of 100 million litres per day represents about 18 per cent of the water demand in the greater Dublin area.
The aquifer is crossed by the main Dublin-Cork motorway and a 100km pipeline to Dublin could be constructed to follow the motorway, facilitating construction and maintenance, as well as avoiding compensation issues with landowners.
At a later date the pipeline could be extended, if required, to the Parteen weir on the Shannon, again using the motorway which passes close by. – Yours, etc,
GEORGE REYNOLDS,
Blessington,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – As I was out on my daily run in the Phoenix Park in Dublin, earlier this week, I noticed the large Papal Cross being power cleaned with water sprayed from a cherry picker.
Clearly, there is no hosepope ban. – Yours, etc,
ULTAN Ó BROIN,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.