What are waterways halting-sites or harbours used for? After some time spent on the Shannon–Erne Waterway, I can say that they’re not just for cruising boaters. Other users included:
- sales reps (or other management types with their suit jackets on hangers in the back) needing cheap, clean loos on their journeys
- local owners of jetskis and speedboats, launching for an evening run
- anglers, both on shore and in boats
- campers
- campervanners seeking free, relatively secure overnight stops with good facilities
- walkers and cyclists, including some long-distance chaps taking breaks
- seekers after water.
At Ballyconnell, a chap drove down in an elderly tractor with three blue barrels on the back, filled up with water and drove away. He was followed by a couple in a 2011 Cavan-registered Renault Fluence, with six 2-litre plastic containers in the boot, who also filled up and drove off. [I have photos of both the tractor and the car.] When water is charged for by the amount used, Waterways Ireland may have to consider locking its taps.
Irish waterways history 
That’s an interesting thought. It will be another difficulty similar to that of householders using rubbish-collection facilities provided for boaters because they have to pay for them. On both the Shannon and the Erne I also noticed a number of people washing their boats using the drinking-water hoses, which I have to say annoys me when they’re sitting on a perfectly good supply of boat-washing water.
they removed the rubbish facility in lowtown about 2 years back because it was being badly abused ,instead of trying to find a solution to the problem like putting the skip in the compound and having people show a valid permit if they wanted to dump rubbish.what do you expect in ireland.if you leave a skip outside your house these days it will end up full in no time.all new shower and toilet facilities should have a bin system that can only be accesed by a smart card.