If Lough Talt issue was in a large city there’d be an outcry

Dear Editor,

Now that it has been well established that water from the Lough Talt water supply in South Sligo is contaminated and unfit for human consumption it is high time that this serious health issue was addressed as a matter of the utmost urgency.

As the parasite cryptosporidium is still in the water, a boil water notice will be in place until at least the month of May.

This is affecting 13,000 households and businesses in the area from Bellaghy to Ballinacarrow and from Kilmacteige to Ballymote.

Irish Water applied some time ago for planning permission to build a new modern water treatment plant at Lough Talt, but was turned down by An Bord Pleanála. As this is a special area of conservation. Apparently a rare snail that has not been seen for a considerable length of time by any of the local population, has held up this badly needed new plant which would guarantee safe drinking water in the South Sligo area. The planning authority seems to have gone into their shell on this occasion. If this happened in any of our large cities their would be an outcry. Surely a serious health risk that effects tens of thousands of people in rural Ireland, should trump the preservation of a snail that is only seen on rare occasions.

Let us hope that common sense prevails in the weeks and months ahead, and that planning permission can be sped-up, and not continue to move along at a snail’s pace. Yours Sincerely,

Tom Towey, Cloonacool,

Co Sligo.