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| If your pipes are made of lead - run the water taps in the mornings! |
Dangers associated with water from lead piping were highlighted by a member of Sligo County Council at the council's December monthly meeting which heard that consumers with lead piping should let their taps run in the morning before using the water.
Raising the matter, Clr. Veronica Cawley said a lot of people were not aware of this and she proposed that the county council apply for funding to the Department of the Environment for funding for a full survey on drinking water and lead piping in houses throughout Sligo City, and other areas of the county that had lead piping.
Clr. Joe Queenan seconded. | | | | In reply, Acting Senior Engineer Donal Harrison said Sligo County Council had completed a desktop survey of lead piping in Sligo City and county based on available records and local knowledge of the water distribution network. The results of this survey were currently being mapped and would be published on the council's website in accordance with the recommendations from the Environmental Protection Agency. |
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He said the environment section of the council had carried out targeted water quality monitoring based on this desktop survey and all compliance monitoring samples now taken on public water supplies were also checked for the lead parametric value as outlined in the drinking water regulations. Relevant consumers had been notified of any exceedances of the lead parametric value in accordance with the advice received from the Health Service Executive. This advice had also been posted on the council's web site.
Mr. Harrison said the council had submitted an application to the department for funding to replace lead service pipes on the public water supply network The department had advised in the 2009 Needs Assessment Circular L6/09 that the issue of the replacement of lead piping in the public water supply network was to be considered in the context of funding for Water Conservation Stage 3 - Mains Rehabilitation works.
Mr. Harrison said the Environment Protection Agency had also issued a lead guidance circular that defined responsibility for the public and private elements of lead service connections.
The circular also recommended the implementation of an action programme to remove lead service connections in the public water supply network. The council had proposed an element of funding in the draft budget 2010 in order to commence this programme during 2010.
Clr. Cawley said this affected a lot of houses in Sligo and the reason she put down this motion was to highlight the issue. She also said that when people turn on taps in the morning, they should let them run.
"It's dangerous and people are not aware of it," she said. |
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| Reproduced courtesy of The Sligo Champion - Wednesday December 16 2009 |
