Clontarf Water Now Safe Once Boiled

Residents of up to 1,400 houses in Clontarf in north Dublin have now been told that their tap water is safe to drink after boiling.

The had initially been told to not consume the water in any way after the detection of high levels of bacteria in the system.

But officials have now said, following further tests and discussion with the HSE, that boiled water was safe to use.

The problem arose last Thursday when routine testing by the central laboratory indicated high levels of bacteria in 16 houses in the area. Further sampling following work to correct the problem in these houses indicated that the contamination might have spread to 1,400 houses.

Tests on the water have ruled out E.coli or metals such as lead, and there have been no reports of ill health as a result of drinking the water.

However, executive city manager Tom Leahy said it was not possible to say exactly what type of bacteria had affected the supply

“The routine tests showed the presence of a coliform, which is a benign bacteria, but it is an indicator bacteria, meaning that it indicates evidence of mircobiological activity, and that shouldn’t be there.”

(H)