This article is from page 8 of the 2008-05-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
NO ILLNESS has ever been con- nected analytically with the public water supply in Ennis.
That was the view expressed by town engineer, Tom Tiernan in a sub- mission to the Environmental Pro- tection Agency (EPA) on their audit
of the council’s temporary treatment plant last January.
Mr Tiernan also stated the council had written to farmers in the catch- ment area of the Drumcliffe tempo- rary water treatment plant to advise them of their responsibilities under guidelines on good farming.
In a letter to the EPA, Mr Tiernan
said regular inspections would be made throughout the vulnerable parts of the catchment area “particularly following significant rainfall events, with a view to ensuring that no ag- ricultural activities are taking place during such sensitive periods which would have the potential to exacer- bate risk to the public water supply”.
He admitted the temporary treat- ment plant was a “reasonable stop gap measure, but didn’t provide the required levels of defence and com- fort against possible contamination which the new plant will do”.
Mr Tiernan admitted in the letter 25 to 30 per cent” of water was not being treated for cryptosporidium.
In the letter to the EPA last Febru- ary and now released to