Concerns have been raised over the ‘perplexing’ plans of Irish Water to bring a public water main into Letterkenny from Buncrana, along the dual carriageway.
At a meeting with Donegal County Councillors two weeks ago, the plans were outlined.
It is planned to lay the piping on the dual carriageway and into Letterkenny to Carnamuggagh and the Mountain Top.
“It’s bad enough taking the water from Inishowen to boost the supply in the Letterkenny area but to do it this way is bizarre to say the least,” Fianna Fail Councillor Ciaran Brogan said.
“We can expect more long delays during the project and a lot of irate motorists travelling to and from their work and elsewhere.
“This will cause huge traffic disruption as the work proceeds but that doesn’t appear to have entered the equation as far as Irish Water is concerned.”
Local sources have raised the question of why Irish Water has not considered one of two other options, the directing of a pipe across the Swilly or taking the supply from Lough Mourne.
Councillor Brogan said: “This would be much more feasible than the project that has been sprung on us by Irish Water.
“Again, the elected members of the County Council have been allowed no hand, act or part in the decisions by Irish Water. The fact that the Council spent a lot of money over the years in devising a plan to take the water from Lough Mourne is being poured down the drain by those who are coming up with such proposals in Irish Water.
“We have also raised the issue of the quality of the water in the south Letterkenny area coming from the bore holes.
“It’s very obvious that Irish Water in not in touch with the realities of the situation in view of some of the proposals they are putting forward.”
Councillor Brogan said that the infamous road works at Kiltoy in Letterkenny were stalled due to Irish Water’s plans to put in infrastructure that hadn’t been on the original plans.
He said: “I’ll be keeping in contact with them to request that they look closer to the more viable alternatives than the one they have planned and forced upon us.”