What is the most heatedly debated subject in the country, especially in summer months? Water, you'd often think. Talk about wine-tasting, we're all connoisseurs when it comes to the stuff from our taps. The usual complaints are that their domestic supply is discoloured or smelly, or both. At another level, rivers are reported to have fish-kills due to over-zealous fertilising of their fields by farmers or to sewage leaks.
Anyway, Trim Urban Council, according to the Meath Chronicle, moved to reassure the public by opening the new water treatment system to them on two days, last Saturday and Monday. The Assistant County Manager, Mr Joe Crockett, had earlier told affected households that officials would test their individual supply and give them the results, if required. And the senior engineer of Meath County Council, Mr Paul Cantwell gave a presentation on the water scheme to the Councillors, telling them that the new plant was called the Trident system of US design, which was "the RollsRoyce system", because it is capable of treating the variability of water in the river Boyne and its complex nature.
Various chemicals and combinations of chemicals are being tried currently. An exact dosing regime has to be developed. Daily tests are also being carried out at Meath County Council's laboratory. (What particular variability exists? Is it so much different from other rivers? Or is it that since drainage the rises and falls are sometimes spectacular.) Anyway, a lot of work is being put into getting things right. Down to individual points. One Councillor Larry Murray wondered why some parts of the town are affected and others not. He said that if he makes a cup of tea, a scum appears at the top of it. Councillor Peter Crinion made a cup of tea that morning and could not drink it because it was unpalatable. "We were told that the water was fine and clear to drink. When we tell that to the people, they look at us as if we were eejits, and maybe we are to be taking this."
Another Councillor said people thought the water couldn't be healthy because it is discoloured. Not everyone agreed. Mr Crockett said the water produced in the new plant is safe to drink, and it was clear that the difficulty lay with the pipe network. He held that it was the most monitored water supply in the country. In how many towns will something like this be the summer topic?