‘Third World’ scenes as residents could wait months for running water

THE sun beat down and amid stifling humidity yesterday men, women and children filled buckets, bottles and saucepans with water from a communal tap.

The scene was reminiscent of equatorial Africa, but it was 21st century Ireland.

Residents in three estates in Cobh, Co Cork, had communal taps installed by the county council after dangerous levels of lead were found in their drinking water.