"I Never Thought I’d See This Day": 87-Year-Old Kildare Grandmother Without Safe Tap Water For Six Years

For the past six years, Ward has remained under a boil water notice, with no confirmed date for when safe tap water will be restored.

Eighty-seven-year-old Kay Ward grew up "poor" but always had running tap water.

She has lived on a small lane in an area known locally as Horsepasstown, which falls within the boundary of Kildare.

For the past six years, Ward has remained under a boil water notice, with no confirmed date for when safe tap water will be restored.

She says the disruption has become part of daily life but remains difficult.

“It hasn’t got easier as the time went on,” she told Kfm. “We thought we’d get used to it, but you don’t.”

Every Monday, twelve large bottles of drinking water are delivered by ESB, which owns the local water main.

“I can’t lift anything at this age, so I wait for somebody to take them in for me,” Ward said. 

“I don’t like using that bottled water for cooking or tea. My daughters take large bottles, fill them at their taps in Manor Kilbride and bring them back. One of them bought me a little pump in Spain that doesn’t fit very well, but it lets me fill the kettle without lifting the bottle.”

She said even brushing her teeth and taking medication requires planning.

"I have to bring water with me,” she said. “My hands aren’t steady. I spill a lot. I worry I might slip. It makes my life a little bit harder than it already is - and it is hard at this stage.”

Ward said her late husband expected the problem to be resolved quickly.

“He was hopeful it would go away,” she said. “But nothing changed.”

ESB correspondence seen by Kfm outlines some of the timeline:

On July  3rd 2020 a boil water notice was issued after coliform bacteria was detected. ESB said it would investigate immediately and supply bottled water “in the meantime.”

On the 19th of October 2020 a follow-up letter apologised for disruption and said specialist engineers were reviewing the network.

On October 26th 2023 an update confirmed water quality was “still not at a level that would allow for the boil water notice to be lifted” and said ESB had applied to transfer responsibility to Uisce Éireann.

On May 1st 2024 another update apologised for “the long delay in reaching a resolution” and said discussions with Uisce Éireann were continuing.

Ward said the wording rarely changes.

“The last one still said, ‘Please keep boiling your water,’” she said.

You can listen to the full interview with Kay Ward here: 

Her daughter Annette Ward said around 22 households are affected, seven of the ten homes on their lane occupied solely by people over 65.

“It’s less than a kilometre of pipe,” she said. “In 2023 they said they’d hand it to Uisce Éireann. A year later, it’s still under discussion. We have no completion date and communication has been abysmal.”

Annette said the plastic waste has become significant.

“One neighbour with three children has used over 12,000 bottles,” she said. “They’re delivering French water to Irish homes. The recycling bins overflow and bottles blow around.”

She added that residents rarely see test results.

“They come and sample the water, but we never get feedback,” she said. “Once I insisted and got a lab printout, but it had no identifiers - completely useless.”

Local councillor Evie Sammon (FG) promised to raise the issue in front of a Kildare County Council meeting.

She raised it on September 9th.

The response the council received from ESB in relation to the public Group Water Scheme which is known as the Horsepasstown public Group Water Scheme, said: “Uisce Éireann are the appropriate body to own and operate public water mains."

It added: "In 2023, ESB submitted a connection application to Uisce Éireann to take in charge or replace the water mains in the vicinity of Poulaphouca which are currently owned and operated by ESB. Uisce Éireann and ESB are currently working together to establish the scope of the works required to upgrade the mains to the  appropriate standards."

It further stated: "In this regard it is intended that site investigation, surveys and detailed design for the necessary upgrades will proceed in 2025. Once the complete scope of work is finalised and the construction methodology agreed an indicative timeline for completion of the construction works will be shared with the relevant customers.”

Kfm has contacted both Uisce Éireann and ESB for comment. 

Kay Ward said no date has been given for when the notice will be lifted and that she relies on her daughters and neighbours to manage.

“If I didn’t have my girls, I couldn’t do it,” she said.

“You’d think after all these years we’d be used to it, but you don’t - because you’re always told it’s going to be fixed.”

“In all my years,” she added, “I never thought I’d see the day in Ireland when I couldn’t drink from my own tap.”