"The Circle of Life"
Sometimes a disney song can carry an important message. Monaghan's beautiful drumlin landscape means we are surrounded by water flowing through, fields, drains, streams, rivers and lakes that all come eventually to White Lough, where we bring it to the hilltop in Corcaghan and remove the natural sediments, nutrients and any dangerous elements. The water then comes to our taps, tummies, and then, through the toilets, our septic tanks and in the end perculates back to our fields, drains, streams, rivers and lakes. Be aware of what damage litter and poisions can do all through our Catchment Area.
Where We Source Our Water
Approx. 3.25km to the southwest of Ballybay, County Monaghan, White Lough is a large, shallow lake (average depth 4m, maximum depth 6m), covering a total area of 54ha. Its catchment is 129km in extent and includes 5 sub-catchments;
- Derryvalley (i.e. Dromore Stream)
- Lough Major Stream
- Annanesse Stream
- Balladian Stream
- Dromore River.
The Derryvalley sub-catchment includes the Dromore stream (1* order), which rises in the townland of Cavanagarvan, Corcaghan, approx. 8.5km north of White Lough. From there it flows in a generallysouthern direction towards Ballybay urban area. At this juncture, the stream has gained volume from a number of tributaries and is classified as 3" order.
On the southwestern edge of Ballybay, it merges with the Lough Major stream, another 3" order waterbody, to form the Dromore river (4 order). Both the Annaneese and Carrickatee sub-catchments also enter the Dromore river southwest of Ballybay. The Dromore then flows in a generally western direction through wetlands and farmland, flowing into, ‘the east of: White Lough and outflowing approx. 2.75km to the west. A secondary inflow, the Magernaharny stream (1* order) flows into White Lough to the west, approx. 380m to the north of the outflow and-approx. 2.4km to the west, downgradient of the scheme’s abstraction point. because the stream origionates in the Ballybay wetlands it the water is naturally filtered and of very high quality.
The Erne River Basin
The Erne river basin is a very large and complex freshwater system. Because the land is a series of flooded drumlins, its course is a complex of islands, bays and many lakes bordered by damp pastures, fens, reedswamp, alder/willow carr and oak woodland. The water is termerd as Surface water as distinct from Well water. It needs to be treated before it is ready as potable water. Being surface water it is open to more toxin than well water which is why we have a excellent water treatment process.
