Efforts to find sewage smell source

A camera survey of a main sewer in Kilcullen has been undertaken by the local authority water services in an attempt to find the problem causing sewage odours on Main Street, the recent Town Meeting with local political representatives heard, writes Brian Byrne.

Responding to one of the issues raised at the meeting under the heading of Tidy Towns, Deputy Martin Heydon said that while the initial response by the Council to approaches by a local doctor that the problem 'was in his building', the authority now acknowledged that there was a wider problem.

The deputy said that after 'significant pressure' on the Council, it had now been found that there 'is a pattern' to the occurrence of the smells, and the owners of the various affected premises had been keeping a log.

"Council officials are going through the results this week," Deputy Heydon said, and promised that he would keep the community apprised of the matter.

KCA chairman Ray Kelly said it was 'great information' but that it was important that such matters should be 'communicated back to us'.

Other matters under the Tidy Towns heading were also discussed, notably the problem with dog excrement, where the question was raised about 'who polices it?'. Ray Kelly noted that when he had once approached a person about their dog's activity he had been given a short answer.

The partially related issue of public litter bins was also outlined, with the local representatives being told that there were just two public bins on Main Street, and the problem is mainly one of having them emptied. "Kilcullen Community Action has adopted a no bins policy, but maybe we should have bins. But they need to be emptied when full, especially at weekends."

On litter, Ray Kelly told the representatives that KCA had been informed that the Council did litter picking three times a week, but this had never been observed. "Maybe they come by and don't see litter," he said, a probable reference to the litter-picking work of Kilcullen Tidy Towns volunteers.

The town signage project currently in train by KCA was outlined to the councillors and TDs, who were asked to support the implementation when that comes around.

The Diary is preparing further reports from the evening which will be published as they are ready.