Almost 400 homes in Castledermot, Co Kildare, had their water supply restored yesterday after three days on an emergency supply brought in by tankers. Kildare County Council believes pig slurry may have been responsible for polluting the town source.
As a precautionary measure, however, local residents were allowed to use the restored supply only for washing and toilet use. But the Kildare County Engineer, Mr Jimmy Lynch, said the local authority expected a full supply would be restored later today.
Some 1,500 people had been without water other than the emergency supply since Sunday, and a local school remained closed as a precaution. There was a marked improvement in water quality yesterday. The council had received complaints about poor odour and taste in the supply on Saturday. A senior engineer did preliminary tests and recommended that the water be cut off. All consumers were alerted not to drink the water. Mr Lynch said the council was aware that two days before this pig slurry had been spread close to a bore-hole source for the supply.
"We are investigating this and will take appropriate action. Our immediate concern was those getting the supply. We responded appropriately. The problem turned out to be not as bad as had been initially feared."
Further tests had established that the supply was only "moderately polluted". The well was pumped out and chlorinated. Similarly, the supply network was flushed out and chlorinated. The water was made safe but because of "super-chlorination" had a strong taste.
There was a lot of hardship for many, particularly those with young children, and older people, according to a local county councillor, Mr Martin Miley (FF). "The council did the best it could, but many houses could not use their toilets for days. Thankfully, that at least is now over."
It had been especially difficult for householders in outlying areas and in housing estates on the outskirts of the town, as a fire brigade and two tankers with emergency supplies inevitably serviced the centre first, he said. Mr Miley believed that extremely wet weather recently contributed to pollution of the source.
