€160,000 spent on providing water in Achill due to unsafe levels of aluminium

IRISH Water spent €160,000 on providing water in Achill Island after aluminium levels skyrocketed to five times recommended levels.

Records released by the water utility reveal how at one stage aluminium levels in the water rose above 1,000 micrograms per litre.

The recommended maximum safe amount in drinking water is 200 micrograms per litre.

Irish Water said it had contracted a third-party supplier to provide tankered water on the Co Mayo island during the peak tourist season this summer.

The total cost of this service, over a period of 28 days, came to €160,000.

The problems were compounded by frequent bursts on the mains water pipe on Achill whenever the raw water supply was switched off.

Irish Water laid a new pipe on the island to help deliver a continuous supply of water to the Achill water treatment plant.

Internal records – which were released following a request under Access to Information on the Environment Regulations – show how the plant reached capacity with rising water temperatures on August 7.

“The plant cannot cope with demand and there’s a serious problem with water quality,” an email read.

Another message confirmed an immediate ‘do not consume’ notice was being put in place.

The records also said there had been a 20pc increase in demand from previous years due to an increase in tourism because of ‘staycations’.

An Irish Water statement said: “The audit of the plant carried out by the EPA found that Irish Water and Mayo County Council ‘acted decisively’ after the incident began and that both organisations ‘worked tirelessly’ throughout the incident to ensure water was available for sanitation, while vulnerable customers received deliveries of bottled water and finding a solution was prioritised.”