By Cronan Scanlon

CONCERN has been expressed at the fact that more than half of water treatment plants analysed in Donegal were at risk of Cryptosporidium in 2006.

The Provision and Quality of Drinking Water in Ireland - Report for the Years 2006-2007- was released yesterday (Thursday) by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The report stated that 24 of the 42 treatment plants monitored are at risk of Cryptosporidium. The parasite caused a severe outbreak of diarrhoea illness which swept Galway last summer.

"If Cryptosporidium is present in the source water of the supply, then the treatment processes at such plants are operating under conditions of risk such that they may not be adequate to remove the parasite," the report warned.

Donegal County Council has been advised to continue to review operations at these treatment plants to ensure that the levels of turbidity in the treated water are reduced to an acceptable level.

The report also revealed that 13 of Donegal's 22 private group water schemes were contaminated with E.coli from human and animal sewage during 2006.

The Council has reported that the majority of these schemes are in the process of being upgraded with the remainder at the design stage or planning.

Donegal County Council was one of the local authorities with the largest number of contaminated group water schemes in 2006.

The overall rate of compliance in Donegal, 95 per cent, was below the national average and dropped slightly from 2005.

"It is clear from the poor microbiological compliance with the standards that significant work is required to resolve the quality deficiencies in private group water schemes in Donegal," the report said.

There were three incidents of E.coli contamination of public water supplies in Donegal. They were in the Pollan Dam, Pettigo and in a small scheme in Lifford. However, all were moderate.

The report stated: "though the overall rate of compliance with the chemical parametric values was close to the national average, there were a number of issues of concern. There were a number of exceedances of the fluoride standard in the Cranford supply (3) while the formation of disinfection by-products was a problem in three supplies in Donegal with trihalomethane exceedances reported in the Portnoo-Narin, Malinmore and Ballintra supplies. However, the more stringent standard, effective from 2008, was exceeded in a further eight public water supplies. All group water schemes monitored were fully compliant with the chemical standards".

Aluminium continues to be a problem in water supplies in Donegal with exceedances reported in several supplies.

"Of concern is the failure of the Frosses/Inver supply to comply with the aluminium standard in any of the 11 samples analysed during the year. Concentrations up to eight times the standard were reported in the supply during 2006".

The Council told the EPA that major capital works were imminent to resolve the aluminium issue.

A spokesperson for the Council could not be contacted for a comment at the time of going to press.

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