BREAKING: Kildare residents drinking water is contaminated with arsenic

The water supply used by a group of residents in Kilteel, Naas, has become contaminated with arsenic, prompting calls for water tankers to be deployed.

Up to 70 families are directly affected by the problem.

While they can use the water for washing purposes and in toilets, it is highly toxic and must not be consumed.

Nor can the problem be alleviated by boiling.

Cllr Fintan Brett

Local councillor Fintan Brett has called on the authorities to deploy water tankers to provide a safe and accessible supply for local families.

Cllr Brett believes that in the medium to long term it will be necessary  to connect these homes to the public supply and this is likely to be expensive since some residences are located more than three kilometres from the nearest mains source.

It’s understood that all of those affected are part of a group water scheme, which provides water from a privately owned supply.

“The water is fine for some uses, but not for drinking and you could have a situation where it snows heavily as it did a few years ago and no water would be available. At that time this community was snowed in,” said Cllr Brett.

He added: “I understand that the contamination is well above the safe limits and  I’ll be calling on Irish Water and Kildare County Council to step up to the plate and find an immediate and long term solution.”