Safe water supply

Call for safe water supply to safeguard Kerry tourism

KERRY has been warned to guard its public water supply in the wake of an admission by Galway City Council that it would miss its first deadline for restoring normal water supplies after the outbreak of rampant cryptosporidium.
The safety of a clean water supply is of paramount importance in Kerry, considering its huge reliance on tourism, according to Killarney Town Council member Tom Doherty.
He was speaking in light of the cryptosporidium problem in Galway and following the recent Environmental Protection Agency revelation that nearly a third of rivers and ground water in Ireland is polluted.
"Constant vigilance is needed to ensure the safety of Kerry’s water supply due to the value and importance of the tourism industry to the locality," said Cllr Doherty.
He added that it was crucial that the tender process for a new treatment plant - which would operate in addition to the current facility at Loughguittane - be activated as quickly as possible.
"This is vitally important because the Loughguittane not only supplies Killarney and its environs but a vast area within the county," said Cllr Doherty.
"I have been asked by various tourism interest to ensure the quality and safety of the supply or water to the urban area.
"The good news is that the quality of water supplied to the town is of high standard," he said.
Cllr Doherty said that to ensure the high quality of water supply well into the future it is vitally important that the tender process for the new treatment plant is brought forward.
Although this is scheduled for the end of the year, he called for it to be brought forward to the earliest possible date.
"Water in this day and age is a vital lifeline to tourism, business and school and family life," he remarked.

The Kingdom newspaper