This article is from page 3 of the 2008-04-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has raised questions over the water supply systems servic- ing almost half of Clare.
The agency, in a report, has placed nine schemes serving in excess of 50,000 people on a remedial list.
The EPA found in the Ennis public water supply levels of Trihalometh- anes (THM) above the current stand- ard as set down in the drinking water regulations. The Ennis public water supply provides water to 23,000 peo- eter
A number of scientific studies have linked high concentrations of THM to increased risk of cancer. It is a by-product of treating the water with chlorine.
“It is worrying and if there is a case study on how not to put in place a water supply system, the Ennis pub- lic water system 1s it,” said Cllr Brian Meaney (GP).
The EPA expressed similar con- cerns in relation to the Ennistymon water supply scheme that supplies water to 8,220 people.
In relation to the Shannon-Sixmile- bridge scheme, which supplies water
to 16,000 people, the EPA states the supply may not be able to meet forth- coming THM standards.
The EPA found that the Turlough public water scheme, serving 500 people, “failed to meet e.coli stand- ards as reported in drinking water regulations and needs investigation and improvement if necessary to en- sure that the root problems have been rectified”.
The report also found excessive lev- els of aluminum in the treated water supply in Miltown Malbay which supplies 1,443 people.
In relation to schemes at Bally-
vaughan (1,000) and Broadford (350), the EPA states that the Health Serv- ice Executive (HSE) have identified supplies where further investigation or improvement maybe required.
“Of greater concern was the rela- tively low level of compliance with the trihalomethanes standard (88 per cent compliance).
“Four public water supplies (En- nistymon, Ennis, West Clare New and West Clare Old) reported con- centrations of trihalomethanes that were unacceptably high.
“While the latter two were unchar- acteristic (subsequent monitoring
has indicated low levels of THMs) the latter two are in need of urgent corrective action particularly as the standard for trihalomethanes is tight- ening in 2008.”
The report states: “Clare County Council carried out analysis on 529 check and 54 audit samples during 2006.
“No monitoring was carried out in one public group water scheme.”
The EPA report stated: “The overall rate of compliance in County Clare, 98.2 per cent, was above the national average in 2006 and improved com- pared from 97.7 per cent in 2005.