Uisce Éireann has this morning moved to reassure people in North Clare that the Ennistymon water supply is safe to drink, despite a major algae bloom at the reservoir at Lickeen Lake.
In a statement to The Clare Champion this morning, the water utility acknowledged recent odour and taste issues in the North Clare area, but said that the water passed “chemical and microbiological” standards and was safe to drink.
A large algae bloom has been present at Lickeen Lake since early August of this year. Algae blooms are commonly associated with the runoff of excessive nutrients from farm land, usually after the spreading of slurry or other fertilisers.
While not all algae bloom contain bacteria, some freshwater blooms do contain cyanobacteria. It is not yet clear what has caused the algae bloom at Lickeen Lake.
In a statement Uisce Éireann said that “chemical and biological results on the Ennistymon Public Water Supply demonstrate compliance with legislative requirements”.
The statement also said that all monitoring data and operational updates have been provided to the regulatory stakeholders and both the HSE and EPA have been “regularly updated” about the situation.
“Uisce Éireann can confirm that following rigorous testing and analysis that the water continues to fully meet chemical and microbiological regulatory standards and is safe to drink,” said Darragh Conneely, Regional Asset Operations Lead at Uisce Éireann.
“While the taste and odour can be unpleasant, drinking water with an earthy or musty taste is typically harmless. The taste and odour may be compounded due to changes in raw water characteristics caused by seasonal changes.
“Where Uisce Éireann becomes aware of any taste and odour issue, a monitoring programme for those compounds associated with taste and odour issues commences to ensure that there is no impact on public health.
“Specialist testing of the lake source water for the Ennistymon Public Water Supply has indicated the presence of algae. The presence of algae in the raw water source has contributed to the recent taste and odour issues reported by customers on the supply but Uisce Éireann assures customers that it is not harmful to human health.
“Protecting public health is a top priority for Uisce Éireann and we would like to advise customers that the water supply on the Ennistymon Public Water Supply is compliant with regulatory standards and is safe to drink.”
Customers experiencing taste or odour issues can find out more information by visiting www.water.ie/help/water-quality/unusual-taste-or-smell/
ENDS
Andrew Hamilton is a journalist, investigative reporter and blogger who has been working in the media in Ireland for the past 20 years. His areas of special interest include the environment, mental health and politics.