Water ‘not contaminated by fertiliser’

FEARS over the safety of drinking water in areas where fertiliser was used to de-ice roads have been allayed after initial tests showed the urea did not contaminate supplies.

Five local authorities including Tipperary north and south, Carlow, Kildare and south Dublin received results of initial tests showing there was no dangerous effect to drinking water from using fertiliser on the roads during the big freeze.

Samples in Meath are still being tested for nitrates and ammonia which could have run into water sources as ice melted, affecting drinking water to households and businesses.

As Met Éireann indicated, the cold snap is coming to an end – now local councils will begin assessing the cost of damage to roads from the extreme weather conditions.

The Department of Transport said it expects to get submissions for damage claims from local authorities over the coming days. Thousands of people are still without tap water as the Government’s Emergency Response Committee said demand is far greater than supply.

Committee chairman Sean Hogan appealed to householders to conserve water and to report any leaks to their local authority.

“Demand for water is still continuing to exceed the maximum production capacity of water treatment plants serving Dublin and many other parts of the country,” he said.

“This record demand level is due to leaks in mains and in private property. Our key concern is for those who still have a water supply to use it very sparingly and to continue to conserve it in the way that people have been doing. And for property owners to search for and fix any leaks.”

He said: “We would ask the public also to report any leaks that are evident following the thaw to the relevant local authority.”

Despite the ongoing problems, the group will not meet again until next Thursday when they will review the response to the latest weather crisis.

Committee member, Gerald Fleming of Met Éireann, said there is still some snow and slush in some parts of the country but it will gradually ease out over the next few days.

He warned the mixture of heavy rain and melting snow on high ground will lead to flash flooding in some areas, particularly around mountains.

“The weather has resumed normal service. It will be milder, wetter and windier. But in terms of snow and ice, we are just seeing the last of it easing out,” he said.