Irish Water moves to calm concerns following discovery of crypto parasite in Millstreet supply
THE HSE believe there is no need to put a boil water notice in place in Millstreet – despite the discovery of a parasite in the local supply on five separate occasions over a two-month period.
Last week The Corkman reported how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had instructed Irish Water to prioritise the treatment of the supply after the parasite cryptosporidium was found in the supply twice in September and on three occasions in October.
The supply, 90% of which is sourced from the uncovered Tubrid Spring, provides a daily supply of 2,200 cubic square metres of water to a local population of 3,800 people.
The EPA subsequently added the Millstreet supply to their remedial action list and in their audit report issued several recommendations to Irish Water about action they felt needed to be taken to address the issue.
These included making sure the Tubrid Spring was fenced off and secure to prevent animal access and that a small hole over the clear water sump was sealed to prevent contamination to treated water.
The EPA also ordered that an ultra violet transmittance monitor, which Irish Water had admitted had been offline periodically since it was installed last May, be “operational at all times.”
One of the key recommendations was that Irish Water install a suitable barrier against cryptosporidium as soon as possible in order to ensure the Millstreet public water supply was “adequately disinfected”
A spokesman for, Ervia, the company responsible for the roll-out of Irish water infrastructure, told The Corkman they immediately set about working on the EPA recommendations.
This has included a commitment to install a new ultra violet (UV) disinfection system at the Millstreet treatment plant.
“The new system will ensure that water from the public supply in Millstreet has a fully validated cryptosporidium inactivation barrier, which will treat water thereby mitigating the risk,” said the spokesman.
“Irish Water has indicated to the EPA that installation of the new UV system should be complete by the second quarter of 2017.
The spokesman said the Irish Water and Cork County Council would continue to closely monitor the water quality at the Millstreet treatment plant and share their results with the HSE to “ensure any risk to public health was identified.
He said that despite the discovery of the parasite the HSE, based on the water quality results obtained to date, “have not deemed it necessary” to impose a boil water notice on the Millstreet supply.
“If at any time the HSE deem that the water quality poses a risk to public health and a boil water notice is required, this will be imposed with immediate effect and the community in Millstreet will be informed immediately,” said the spokesman.
He said Customers with any queries