Brittas Bay News - Is the water safe to drink?

This is the question that residents across County Wicklow must be asking themselves after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week launched three major reports on water quality in Ireland. The EPA examined the county's public drinking water under 16 different headings that vary from the very serious, such as the presence of faecal coliforms (human or animal excrement) to less serious characteristics such as taste and smell. County Wick-low's drinking water was found to be compliant in only one parameter.

There were 37 Public water supplies and 15 Group water schemes monitored in Wicklow in 2002, collectively supplying water to a population of approximately 85,000 people.

Overall compliance with the drinking water standards in public water supplies was found to be below average. In particular compliance with the faecal coliform standard in Public water supplies was also below the national average during 2002.

There were 10 incidents of faecal coliform contamination in 9 Public water supplies during 2002. These were in the Aughrim/Annacurra, Avoca/Ballinaclash, Ballyconnell, Coolboy/Coolfancy (2 incidents), Donard, Glenealy, Kirikee (Old), Knockanarrigan/Davidstown and Windgates/Templecanig supplies. Overall, of the 37 public water supplies in Wicklow, 28 were fully compliant with the faecal coliform standard.

Full compliance in public water supplies in Wicklow was achieved for only one parameter, nitrites, in 2002.

As has been highlighted in previous reports, there was a serious problem in compliance with the aluminium standard in Wicklow during in 2002. An overall compliance rate of just 53.3% was achieved due to poor compliance in nearly all of the supplies (hat use alum as a coagulant in the treatment process. The sole exception being the Tinahely Regional supply. Exceedances were reported in the Arklow (20 of 28 samples analysed exceeded), Enniskerry (4 of 4 samples analysed) and Wick-low Regional (10 of 21 samples analysed) supplies.

Of concern to the EPA was the fact that no monitoring for aluminium was submitted for the Laragh/Annamoe supply despite the fact that there were numerous exceedances reported in this supply in 2001. Investigations were initiated at the Enniskerry treatment plant to ascertain the cause of the aluminium exceedances, however no corrective action has been undertaken for the remainder of the supplies despite the supplies being repeatedly highlighted as problematic.

One exceedance of the nitrate standard was also reported in the Billinpark supply.

The overall compliance rate for Group water schemes in Wicklow was also below the national average though faecal coliform compliance was slightly above average. The Tombreen scheme reported elevated levels of nitrate in excess of the standards.

The overall view of the EPA was that the general quality of drinking water in the 'majority' of Public water supplies in Wicklow was only 'satisfactory' during the review period, however the high number of Public supplies with incidents of faecal contamination was unsatisfactory, as was the poor rate of compliance with the aluminium standard. It was noted that compliance with aluminium has decreased slightly over the review period from 57% in 2000 to 53% in 2002.

The overall quality of drinking water in Group water schemes was satisfactory in the 'majority' of cases during the review period.

In a second report issued by the ERA last week on the health of the country's lakes and rivers entitled 'Phosphorous Regulations - National Implementation Report 2003'' Wicklow's water was again found wanting. The Report states that since 1995/7 there has been a decline in water quality; - only 50.9% of stations comply with the biological targets set in the Regulations, down 6.3% since the last report. Lakes and rivers are ranked on a Q 1 to Q 5 basis with Q5 being the highest. The number of Q4/5 stations in County Wicklow has decreased from 50 to 36. There are 9 lakes in the county that fall under the Regulations, 8 of these were recently monitored and 25% were found to be noncompliant. Worryingly both of these were reservoirs, Vartry and Golden Falls.

Wicklow County Council was contacted on a number of occasions for comment on the EPA results but no spokesperson was available in either the Corporate Affairs or Environment sections. Cllr. Mary White, Deputy Leader of the Green Party who has been nominated to run for the forthcoming European elections for the East (formerly Leinster) constituency in June for the seat being vacated by Nuala Ahem said that the latest Environmental Protection Agency report on the Quality of Drinking Water is 'extremely worrying'.

"It is quite staggering that Wicklow Co. Council's sampling at the Enniskerry treatment plant did not comply. with the aluminium standard in any of the samples analysed - in 2002. Four out of four tests showed exceedances. Also the number of Public supplies tested were below the national average. In Arklow 20 out of 28 tests showed aluminium exceedances."

"The Green Party would like to see better enforcement through the Water Pollution Act. Serious pollution has occurred through the unrestricted run off of slurry and fertiliser into rivers and lakes. Also many Group water schemes are contaminated through leaking wells and septic tanks." "We also require more testing from local authorities in order to gain a more accurate picture of the drinking water problem."

Our advice is NOT to trust water quality unless you know for certain that quality is good and recently tested. Boil all water or drink bottled.

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