An Environment Protection Agency (EPA) report which finds that water quality in private water supplies is consistently poorer than public water supplies, should serve as “a wakeup call” and highlights the lack of investment in water services.
That’s according to East Clare Sinn Féin spokesperson Mags O’Connor who says Clare County Council should take such reports more seriously.
“The EPA report focused on private water supplies and found that of the private water supplies registered in the state, 37% were not monitored in any way for e.Coli. Worryingly, of the private supplies not monitored, these included hotels and restaurants, national schools, childcare centres and nursing homes. The report also estimates that 30% of household wells are contaminated by e.Coli,” Ms O’Connor said.
“What is clear from this report is that there needs to be greater Clare County Council intervention. Audits of private water supplies need to be carried out regularly by the Council and prosecutions on all breaches of health and safety must take place.
“Clare Co Council must demand to be adequately resourced, both in terms of funding and staffing levels, in order to ensure that more inspections can take place. The country has the highest incidence of VTEC, the pathogenic form of e.Coli in Europe. This is not good enough.
It is time for County Clare to take these EPA reports more seriously and act accordingly to ensure that public health is not put at risk,” she added.