The public water supply in the east Galway town of Athenry was at the centre of a row yesterday over claims that farmers were being blamed unfairly for contamination.
The new Mayor of Galway, County Councillor Martin Regan, denied that he had blamed farmers specifically for the contamination, which has been identified as E. coli.
However, he was critical of the manner in which the county council notified the public in the town of the alert. A warning notice issued over local radio was not sufficient, he said.
Some 2,000 householders in the town have been warned that the water is unfit for human consumption, as a result of quality tests carried out late last week and received on Monday of this week, February 11th.
However, tests carried out by the county council on Monday and Tuesday of this week have proved to be clear, and the outcome of a third test conducted yesterday will determine whether the supply is considered to be "safe" again.
Mr Tom Kavanagh, director of services for the local authority, has stressed that the pollution was "low level", and that it could be traced to a number of sources.
Recent heavy rain had contaminated the spring source of the Athenry water supply scheme, Mr Kavanagh said in a statement. Public notices warning consumers had been issued "immediately", he said.
He said that alternative sources of supply had been provided in the town in two water storage tanks - one at the public library and the other in a car-park opposite Cloonan's garage.
This contingency would remain in place until such time as the mains supply was reported as clear for consumption, he said.
The contamination is the third such incident to have occurred in Galway county in the last nine months, but residents in the town said yesterday that the supply had never been good.
Athenry is one of the largest growing towns in the State, as it now serves as a dormitory for Galway city.
The limestone geology of the area and the fact that it is a ground water supply makes it vulnerable to periods of heavy rain.
Mr Michael Silke, chairman of the Galway branch of the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA), said that it was unfair to blame it all on farmers.
Ground conditions had been so soft over the past few weeks due to the wet weather that it had been impossible to spread slurry.
Work has been taking place on a new reservoir near the town which will connect it to the Tuam regional water supply scheme. This will pump water directly from the Corrib to the town, and is expected to be in operation by early March.
