Donegal Council to appear in court over local water quality

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is suing Irish Water and a local council, claiming the public water supply in a major Irish town is not up to standard.

The EPA is taking both Irish Water and Donegal County Council to court over the water supply for Letterkenny.

The agency first introduced a directive in August 2011 informing the council to take measures to improve its supply to the town and its 19,000 residents.

An examination of the Letterkenny Regional public water supply showed concerns for the treatment of of its water.

Among the areas of concern was for the treatment of Crytosporidium as well as excessive levels of trihalomethanes.

The complaint from the EPA alleges that Donegal County Council “failed to comply with a Direction issued by the EPA under Regulation 10(4) of the European Communities (Drinking Water) (No. 2) Regulations 2007 in that they failed to implement the action programme approved by the EPA on 31st August 2011 for the improvement of the quality of water intended for human consumption from the Letterkenny Regional Public Supply to meet the parametric values specified in the said Regulations for trihalomethanes within the period specified by the EPA and provided for in the said Regulations.”

However the council has failed to do so within a timeframe set down by the EPA.

Now a court summons has been issued to both Donegal County Council and Irish Water to appear at Letterkenny District Court on Tuesday next.

As Irish Water now holds the remit for drinking water, they too have been summoned to appear in court.