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Contaminated water sparks major alert

Wednesday, 10 December 2008

RESIDENTS in a number of Northside areas flocked to supermarkets last week to stock up on bottled water after their tap supply became contaminated. A resident in Baldoyle spotted discoloured water and immediately alerted Fingal County Council. The discovery sparked panic in the area, with residents rushing out to purchase bottled water, which it’s believed sold out in record time. Shocked locals feared a similar situation to the one experienced by residents in Galway last year. Dublin City Council confirmed that there was a broken main in the Fingal County Council area. “This main was repaired,” said a spokeswoman for the city council.  “However, as a result, dirty water got into our watermain distribution system.” The watermains have since been flushed, both in the Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council areas, and the water is now running clear.   The discolouration of the water was caused by sediment in old cast iron watermains in the network that had been dislodged following repairs to a section of a watermain in Clonshaugh. A spokeswoman for Fingal County Council told Northside People that the sediment was not a health threat but would be very unpleasant to drink or to use in cooking. “Usually the problem resolves within an hour or two when the disturbance has finished,” she stated. “Regarding the material, it is mainly iron which builds up due to the reaction with the water and oxygen within the watermain, giving an orange colour to the water.  “However, some minerals which exist within the water also deposit on the walls of the pipes.” Cllr Larry O’Toole (SF) has demanded a full investigation into the matter, while Donaghmede ward councillor Killian Forde (SF) expressed concern about how the information was communicated to householders. However, Fingal County Council’s spokeswoman said they got the information into the public domain as soon as they became aware of the situation. “We issued a news bulletin at 5pm to all the radio stations in the Dublin area,” she stated. “This bulletin was intended to reach commuters travelling home to the affected areas. “In addition, we placed a more detailed notice on our website and on Aertel. “All councillors and TDs, both in the Fingal and Dublin city areas affected by the discolouration of the water were given a copy of the notice that had been sent on to the media.” The affected areas included Baldoyle and Sutton (Fingal) and Clonshaugh, Darndale, Kilmore, Skelly’s Lane, Coolock, Ayrfield, Glenayle, Raheny Road, Templeview, St Donagh’s, Millbrook and Kilbarrack.