The organiser of a public meeting over the ongoing situation with the Lough Talt Water Scheme in South Sligo says she is annoyed over what she claims is the conflicting information that’s emerging about the situation.
13,000 people on the scheme now have to boil their water for the foreseeable future after cryptosporidium was found in the supply’s treatment plant and two people became sick.
It’s the second Boil Water Notice on the supply — a previous notice was lifted last October.
Kellie Cadman is urging as many people as possible to show up for tonight’s pubolic meeting at 7pm in the An Chroi offices at Rathscanlon, on the Ballina Road in Tubbercurry.
Meanwhile, a North West MEP says the current situation with the Lough Talt Water Supply Scheme is the result of 20 years of inaction by central government and others here.
Marian Harkin says that while Special Areas of Conservation are created under EU legislation, no plans are then made on how to deal with or manage situations that arise because of these designations.
She added that as a result, Sligo County Council is now having to to make the first application in the country under the EU Habitats Directive highlighting the public interest importance of the Lough Talt situation.
It’s known as an IROPI application, which stands for Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest.
Lough Talt is in a Special Area of Conservation, which imposes strict conditions when it comes to planning for a much-needed new treatment plant.
Ms Harkin says lack of action in the past is the real cause of the situation now being endured by 13,000 people supplied by the Lough Talt Scheme.
