This article is from page 14 of the 2008-10-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
EAST Clare county councillor John Crowe has defended the water supply in Sixmilebridge.
The Fine Gael councillor claims the water in the town and surround- ing areas is perfect, with the excep- tion of an isolated case.
He was reacting to an EPA report, which recorded the second highest lead content in Irish water from a house in the Sixmiulebridge.
The EPA recorded 157 micrograms per litre in the water in a house in Church View on September 30.
“*T think that the 1950s old lead con- nections coming from the mains that are the cause of this,” he said.
The councillor said that from the 1960s on, PVC piping replaced the majority of these pipes. Water from the reservoir at Castle Lake, which supplies Sixmilebridge and Shan- non, was perfect and safe.
Last night Clare County Council said that they along with other local authorities, had increased monitoring of water supplies for levels of lead in recent weeks.
David Timlin, County Council Director of Service said, the risk relates specifically to premises built before the early 1960s and have not been renovated since and continue to have lead services. If your home was built since the early 1960s, it is likely that there are no lead pipes in your property. People who stay or live in homes built before the early 1960s
and are concerned that their supply is from lead services are advised to flush their pipes as a precaution by running the cold water from the kitchen tap until the sink 1s filled, be-
fore consuming the water,” he said.
“This advice applies particularly first thing in the morning or if the water has been unused in the pipes for longer than six hours.”
“If adverse results are verified by the current programme of monitor- ing, further assessment will be car- ried out. Consumers particularly at risk include children under six, and
pregnant women.”