As part of the follow-up interviews for the Roscommon community photography project, we had the opportunity to visit various workplaces of the caretaker of Polecat Springs GWS. He showed us some of the nuts, bolts, fittings and joints that he uses, day-to-day, in the ordinary upkeep of the scheme. He showed us the meters that are being installed to monitor usage on the network, and talked us through how this is being done. While a large part of the maintenance work is performed in the caretaker’s shed, at the scheme’s treatment facility, and out-and-about on the network, this is not the only place from which the GWS is overseen. Polecat Springs have installed bulk meters connected to a SCADA system, which allows water usage and network integrity to be monitored remotely. The caretaker has an old laptop dedicated exclusively to this task. This lives in his home, allowing him to keep track of things with ease and comfort. Reading the levels at different locations and times of the day demands a significant knowledge of the scheme and the software, but helps the caretaker to take a prompt and directed response to most problems that arise.
