Crisis leaves locals near boiling point
Related Articles
Tuesday March 25 2008
A FIVE-MONTH-LONG water crisis in south Galway has left local people at boiling point.
The 5,000-strong community stretching from Clarinbridge, through Kilcolgan and on to Ballindereen, have been boiling water since the start of last November when the supply became contaminated.
The HSE and Galway county council issued the "boil water" notice to all homes and businesses in the area after high incidences of the organism clostridium perfringens were detected in the Clarinbridge public water supply.
Group water schemes in the area were also affected by the notice while testing and further sampling was carried out.
In follow-up tests, trace levels of cryptosporidium were detected. And while there have been no reported cases of the gastro-intestinal illness, cryptosporidium, the "boil water" notice has remained in place ever since.
People living in the area have been comparing their situation with last year's five-month long contamination of the public water supply in nearby Galway city and the manner in which the authorities handled that crisis.
Subsidised bottled water was made available to city households, special facilities were put in place to dispose of bottled water containers, while the business community saw their rates bill reduced.
"It's the very same issue here as the people of Galway city experienced last year, but I'm concerned that the authorities have forgotten about Clarinbridge," said local Senator Fidelma Healy Eames.
Senator Healy Eames added: "I want the HSE and county council to get together and decide now when the boil notice will be lifted. People here are suffering in exactly the same way as the people of Galway city did last year, but because this isn't the city, there hasn't been the same fuss about it."
Eileen Finn Graham, of renowned restaurant Moran's on the Weir in Clarinbridge, said her business has to buy in ice from outside the area, vast amounts of water have to be boiled at night and allowed to cool in order to prepare vegetables and other food.
- Brian McDonald
