Water lead level is 10 times over EU limit
November 12th, 2014 by Steve
An article by David Raleigh, with the Irish Examiner dated Thrusday, October 30,2014 states:
woman whose water supply is 10 times over the European lead limit allowed has refused to pay water charges.
Joanne Mulcahy, 37, who lives in Corbally in Limerick said her local authority would not provide her with temporary clean water because she is renting in a private house.
The mother of one employed BHP Laboratories, Thomondgate to test her supply when she grew concerned after thousands of homes across the city were found to have elevated lead levels in their water. Her result showed there was 0.11 microgrammes of lead in her water supply. The European directive states this should be just 0.01 microgrammes per litre.
Ms Mulcahy says she is now forced to buy big drums of water from shops for drinking and cooking. Drinking elevated levels of lead can affect babies’ brain development. The council has advised pregnant women not to drink water containing high levels of lead.
Ms Mulcahy said the council told her to “run the water for 10 minutes” to decrease the level of lead in her supply, caused by old lead pipes in the house.
“Even when I did that, the water level was still four times over the limit. Not only that, but it’s a waste of water, running it for 10 minutes. You could fill about 10, five-litre drums in 10 minutes of running water and we are supposed to be conserving water.
“I told the council I would have to pay for that waste water and they were advising me to run the water for 10 minutes, which would still not bring it down to the safe limits,” she said.
“I rang Irish Water and the council called to the house and took three different tests. They said it’s up to the house-owner to replace the lead pipes coming into the house and that it’s nothing to do with the council. They are claiming that the mains on the road outside the house is okay.”
“I’m not going paying my water charges. Not a hope. My water isn’t fit for human consumption. I am worried about the lead, of course. You don’t know what it could do to your health down the road. I have a young daughter. I’m definitely not paying it. We have already paid for our water,” she added.
Ms Mulcahy described Irish Water as “a joke.”
“Someone said to me we should get a blood test and see how high the levels are in our system. I’ve been drinking that water for a year and a half’” she added.
She said she is waiting to speak to her landlord about replacing the lead pipes in her home.
Filed under: European Markets, General, Lead Testing