The Galway City Council and the HSE have advised residents of Old Mervue not to drink tap water and informed the rest of the city on the precautionary measures which must be taken to deal with the latest with water crisis.
An emergency meeting was held in City Hall on Tuesday to inform councillors that high levels of lead were discovered in drinking water in some houses in Old Mervue.
Recently 20 houses were tested throughout the city and 12 of these returned lead levels in excess of the normal standards. Some of the affected homes were in Bohermore, Shantalla, and The Claddagh, but it is thought the problem may be due to old lead piping in the houses.
However the results for Old Mervue caused greatest alarm. Testing identified “very high levels of lead” in the houses examined in Old Mervue, resulting in City Hall and the HSE issuing a warning to residents not to drink the water until further notice.
The problem is believed to stem from the fact that the area is serviced by a lead piping system which was installed in the 1930s and is now showing signs of age, wear, and tear.
Fears for public health have been expressed, especially for people in Old Mervue, and both City Hall and the HSE have issued guidelines to the public on what to do.
In Old Mervue, tap water is not to be consumed or used to prepare food. To provide locals with water City Hall is providing water through stand pipes which people can collect in containers for use. People are then asked to boil this water before use.
For the rest of the city, the council and the HSE advise certain precautionary measures to be taken. Homes built or modernised since 1970, are likely not to have any lead pipes.
However those who live or stay in houses built before 1970 - particularly pregnant women or children under six - are advised to flush the pipes as a precaution.
To do this the cold water kitchen tap should be run to fill the sink - particularly first thing in the morning or if the water has been unused in the pipes for longer than six hours. This will flush out and clear any lead in the system. Once this is done and the action completed, tap water can then be used for drinking until further notice.
