EPA finds Offaly water compliance rate is above national average

Offaly County Council was one of only eleven local authorites nationwide that managed to avoid E. coli contamination of water supplies during 2007 to 2008. All 66 public water supplies within the Council"s functional area were 'fully compliant' with the E. coli parametric value for the second year in a row. The overall compliance rate in Offaly was 98.6%, which was above the national average for 2007 although it was a slight drop from 99% in the previous year. E. coli was detected in one public group water scheme which originated from a public water supply. Only one of the 15 schemes monitored failed to comply with the E. coli standard during 2007. The figures were released in the annual Provision and Quality of Drinking Water in Ireland 2007-2008 yesterday (Thursday) by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A total of 5,218 individual drinking water tests were carried out in the county, however this was a 3% shortfall on EPA standards. Full compliance was achieved with 24 of the 26 chemical standards in public water supplies in Offaly. Elevated levels of nitrates were detected in the Daingean public water supply. There was just one exceedance of the chemical standard in the private group water schemes. The Mountlucas group water scheme detected elevated levels of nitrite, while the Shinrone/Brosna water supply exceeded levels of the pesticide Dichlorobenil by 0.131. There are currently four public water supplies operated by Offaly County Council on the Remedial Action List (RAL67) of public water supplies. The Council said all four supplies will be upgraded to ensure the supply can produce safe and secure water. The EPA received 26 notifications of the failure to meet the parametric value from Offaly County Council from March 2007 to September 2008. During this period one boil water was put in place in the Clonbullogue supply as a precaution due to flooding (August 2008). Offaly County Council has complied with all three Directions issued by the EPA in response to these failures and has implemented the action programmes. As of August 2008, the council had installed chlorine monitors and alarms on 13 of 21 supplies as ordered by EPA. 'We need sustained investment in infrastructure to deliver clean drinking water. Clean drinking water is vital to sustain our health and well-being and we rely upon it, particularly those involved in the services, manufacturing and tourism industries. Such investment during these tough economic times will provide the platform for sustainable development into the future,' said Dara Lynott, Director, EPA Office of Environmental Enforcement. There are 24 Public Water Supply schemes throughout Offaly, serving 44,600 people. There are 15 Public Group Water Schemes serving 1,849 people, there are also 15 Private Group Water Schemes serving 14,322 consumers and lastly 43 Small Private Supplies.