This article is from page 2 of the 2008-03-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
has learnt that the most up-to-date results of tests on the Ennis water sample show traces of the parasite cryptosporid- Lebeee Town Engineer Tom Tiernan has told the paper that the results re- ceived by the local authority as late as yesterday are no cause for public oleae “It was a very, very low level and well below the level necessary to re- vise the notice issued about it,’ he STH (em The local authority in conjunction with the HSE issued a reminder to
the 30,000 water consumers in the Ennis area on Friday to continue to observe a partial boil notice, after three children were reported to be suffering from the disease Crypt- osporidiosis.
Cryptosporidiosis 1S a parasitic disease affecting the intestines of mammals that is caused by Crypt- osporidium.
According to a Clare County Council spokesperson, “the partial boil notice was put in place because the supply is considered to be at risk and is designed to protect children under five, persons whose immune system might be compromised and visitors to Ennis.”
The partial notice has been ongo- ing since May 2005 when five chil- dren fell ill with Cryptosporidiosis.
Mr Tiernan said that there was no proof at the time to link the water supply to the children.
When asked why the boil notice re- mains if the water 1s clear Mr Tiern- an said the supply is “more vulner- able’ because there is a temporary water treatment plant in place until the new plant is completed in 12 months time.
‘There is nothing in the water. It is precautionary,’ he said.
The town engineer assured the public that the reminder was a precautionary response to the con-
firmed cases of cryptosporidium, and there is little or no evidence to suggest that the illnesses are as a re- sult of the water.
According to the engineer the wa- ter 1s tested up to four times a week for the cryptosporidium parasite. It cannot be tested on an ongoing basis every day as it takes several days for the results to be determined.
Mr Tiernan admitted that the re- sults of last Thursday’s sample, which was received by the council yesterday, showed traces of the par- asite however.
He said that the sample showed minute levels of the parasite and “was way below concern levels”.