HIGH FAECAL DETECTIONS IN GALWAY GROUNDWATER

Date Published: 21-Nov-2008

A high concentration of human or animal faeces have been detected in ground water samples in Galway.

Areas identified for high faecal coliforms in ground water are areas in and surrounding Ballygar, Kilbannon, Kilkerrin, Moylough and Mountbellew.

It’s understood that karst limestone and shallow soil make these areas very vulnerable to waste that has been spread on the soil.

This may affect people using private water schemes taken from ground water that have not been treated.

Public water schemes are chlorinated which removes these bacterial forms.

The areas were identified in a report on ‘Water quality in Ireland’ which was published by the Environmental Protection Agency recently.