Clare water treatment plant continues failure to make drinking water safe

An audit of the West Clare Regional Water Supply in August by the Environmental Protection Agency found levels of trihalomethane above recommended safety limits at its new treatment plant in Doolough

Long-term exposure to high THM levels has been linked to diseases of the liver, kidney and central nervous system as well as bladder and colon cancer, although the evidence is not conclusive. However, the EPA has acknowledged that acute effects of THMs in drinking water are rare. File picture

A new water treatment plant in Clare is failing to prevent excessive levels of a potentially dangerous by-product of the disinfection process for drinking water being formed in the supply, according to the State’s environmental watchdog.

An audit of the West Clare Regional Water Supply in August by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found levels of trihalomethane (THM) above recommended safety limits at its new treatment plant in Doolough, Co. Clare.