Council to sample test for lead in water

SAMPLE testing for lead in the drinking water supply is to start later this week in 11 areas within the environs of Mallow, Co Cork.

The move comes after excessive lead levels were recently discovered in the water supply in the town’s Beecher Street.

Assistant county manager Tim Lucey said lead water mains existed in 11 areas around the town, serving approximately 227 houses and businesses. He revealed that a specific monitoring programme had been agreed with the Health Service Executive (HSE), and two houses in each of the specified areas would have their water supply sampled very shortly.

“Further decisions on what action may be required here will be taken in conjunction with the HSE on foot of the result of those samples,” the assistant county manager said.

Mr Lucey said the cost of replacing the 450 metres of lead water main in Beecher Street was estimated at around 100,000.

“If the council were to replace the remaining lead piping in Mallow then a further investment of over500,000 would be required,” he said.

“As lead piping exists in many other areas of the county, any survey being undertaken will need to establish the cost of a replacement and monitoring programme and the funding sources for same,” Mr Lucey added.

The council is currently reviewing all its water quality monitoring records for the last three years, to determine what schemes require further assessment.

He warned that undertaking a countywide survey to determine the extent of lead piping in the water distribution network could consume significant resources and would take quite some time to complete.

A replacement programme for lead piping, he said, would need to be assessed as would specific lead monitoring and management programmes.

Mr Lucey said the costs of these programmes would be expected to be significant.

Excessive lead levels were also found in the water supply serving St Alban’s, Ballymakeera.

A report issued yesterday showed that privately owned lead piping served the houses there.

Cllr Andrias Moynihan said a number of householders in the Ballymakeera were worried and wondered if people could apply for grants to rectify such problems.

“Test samples need to be taken from the tap and not just the stopcock outside,” Mr Moynihan said.

County manager Martin Riordan said he wanted to assure people that where problems were discovered in public supplies the council would act quickly.

However, he said the local authority didn’t have the funding to carry out major works all over Co Cork if the need arose. “We need a national response to such funding,” Mr Riordan said.