Sinn Féin TD for Galway West/South Mayo Mairéad Farrell has called on Irish Water to act urgently to remedy the compromised and contaminated water supply on Inishbofin.
Residents on the island were advised to boil water from August 28, to September 3, when they were advised not to consume the water at all. On the September 12 it was revealed that the water may not have been safe to consume at all from the August 11, resulting in 156 residents being unaware that their water supply was potentially contaminated.
Speaking on the issue, TD Farrell said, "I have been following this issue and keeping in contact with Irish Water since the Boil Water Notice was first issued, but I was extremely concerned when I saw reports that the water may not have been safe to drink at all since August 11 – two weeks before the Boil Water Notice was first advised."
She went on to say that residents of the island had been in contact with her office looking for clarity on the issue. "The quality of the water was flagged with me by one resident on the August 30, while the Boil Water Notice was in effect. They advised me that they had been boiling their water as recommended but were still worried that it may not be suitable for consumption."
Irish Water and Galway County Council released a statement on September 2 stating that the boil notice arose following a "deterioration in the quality of treated water entering the public supply."
Rónan Daly, Irish Water's Asset Operations Lead, explained in the statement that, "The quality of the raw water in the adjacent lake source has deteriorated to such an extent that the water treatment plant is failing to adequately treat the raw water to compliant standards. Due to a lack of significant rainfall over the summer period, the lake levels have dropped considerably. Coupled with the ongoing warm temperatures, algae growth is an issue in the lake."
TD Farrell stated, “Irish Water must also act quickly to remedy the situation so that residents of Inishbofin can once again have access to a safe water supply. I understand that a specialist contractor will be on site next week to “replace components of the filtration process which have become compromised as a result of the poor raw water quality.”
“This will leave islanders reliant on bottled water for another week. Irish Water must make this a priority to ensure the safety of the water supply on our off-shore islands.”
Guidelines for how to safely boil and consume water while under a Boil Water Notice, and maps of impacted areas, are available on the Irish Water website.
