LATEST: No help in sight for Kildare residents with arsenic poisoned water supply

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

The amount of arsenic in the supply is nearly seven times the safe limit, it was claimed at a Naas Municipal District meeting on February 8.

Up to 60 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.

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A KCC representative said that because the affected water supply is operated by a private group water scheme,  primary responsibility rests with the local trustees of the scheme.

Cllr Fintan Brett

The representative added: “In the interest of public health, KCC issued a ‘do not consume notice ‘ to all users of this supply prohibiting, until further notice, the use of this water for either drinking purposes or for the preparation of food.”

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

He said the contamination is a locally occurring problem but the scheme functioned normally for many years.

“There is no point in Irish Water burying their heads in the sand,” said Cllr Brett.

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 use  but for not 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.”

The representative added: “In the interest of public health, KCC issued a ‘do not consume notice ‘ to all users of this supply prohibiting, until further notice, the use of this water for either drinking purposes or for the preparation of food.” 

The representative added that as the supervisory authority for group schemes, the council will continue to work with the trustees to assist in addressing the issue. 

“Initial assessments suggest that finding a solution in the short term is likely to be challenging.  In the interim, the council will not be providing tankers as supplies from this source must also be boiled before consumption in accordance with  drinking water regulations.”

According to Irish Water it has no responsibility for private group water schemes.