Thursday 3 April 2008

More than a million at risk from polluted tap water

MORE than one million people are drinking tap water from public supplies on an official pollution "name-and-shame" dossier finally published yesterday.

The 339 public supplies listed -- many of which are identified as not removing deadly bugs properly, such as cryptosporidium -- provide drinking water to 1,260,541 people.

The damning list, affecting more than a quarter of the population, was finally published yesterday by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

For the past three months, the agency had refused to identify 339 supplies -- more than one-third of the country's total supplies operated by the local authorities.

Affected householders had been kept in the dark. But yesterday, following an EPA board meeting, the State environment agency released the list of all the supplies.

It paints a worrying picture of the potential risk to human health from deadly cryptosporidium and E-coli bugs, excess aluminium and nitrates linked to cancer and blue baby syndrome.

The EPA also revealed yesterday that it plans to take legal action against some local authorities to force them to clean up their water.

The name-and-shame list also highlights management and treatment problems at some plants. Others have issues in meeting new EU standards due later this year.

Crisis

The publication follows the ongoing tap water contamination crisis in Co Galway, which recently saw up to 1,000 people fall ill from the cryptosporidium parasite in their water. The seaside village of Roundstone, in Connemara is now in the grips of a similar crisis.

The EPA list shows exactly where the supplies in need of remedial action are located, how many people are affected, the type of pollution problem, and the local authority responsible. A total of 1.26 million adults and children are affected.

An EPA statement yesterday said the fact that a public water supply was on this list did not mean that the water produced by the supply was unsafe to drink.

Ger O'Leary, EPA programme manager, said the list was a "road map to good compliance".

He admitted that in some cases the supplies had inadequate treatment, but said that others were being put on notice that they had to raise their game to meet new EU standards coming down the line.

Mr O'Leary said it would take immediate action if there was an outbreak of sickness in any of the at-risk supplies.

Boil notices or orders not to drink the water would then be issued to householders, he said.

According to Mr O'Leary, a number of local authorities supplies were being removed from the list, including Galway city, as they had carried out the necessary works.

The list would be a work-in- progress with some supplies coming off and others added.

Asked why those supplies identified as having inadequate facilities for removing deadly bugs, such as cryptosporidium, were not closed down immediately, he said these supplies had been put on a remedial action list.

In the event of any detection of contamination, the local authority was legally obliged to notify the HSE and the EPA and take appropriate action to protect public health.

"This is a road map to full compliance with drinking water standards," he told the Irish Independent.

The EPA audit also identified water treatment and management problems at supplies in Cork city (123,000 people) and tap water provided to 37,500 Dubliners from the Ballyboden supplies.

The list also reveals that the Galway city supplies to 65,000 people may not meet new standards for dealing with potentially cancer-causing chemical compounds called trihalomethanes (THMs).

No less than 40 public supplies in Co Kerry are on the name-and-shame list, along with 31 supplies in Galway.

The EPA said the list would remain a working list, with the possibility of supplies being added or removed as work is completed and further information becomes available.

The EPA said it is now commencing the process of assessing the information received to determine whether a supply should be replaced, required capital investment for upgrading, and/or needed "significant changes in operational practices".

"In some cases, this may result in the issuing of legal directions to local authorities requiring specific works to be carried out," warned the EPA.

The EPA said its priority was to work to ensure a secure drinking water supply for the Irish public.

Treacy Hogan Environment Correspondent
Irish Independent

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