CLARE COUNTY Council was yesterday returned for trial on nine separate water pollution charges.
At Ennis District Court, the council appeared in relation to charges of allowing water untreated for the bug cryptosporidium into the Ennis public water system over a five-month period in 2008 and 2009.
The local authority was returned for trial to Ennis Circuit Court on July 5th next.
The council is accused of failing to comply with a directive from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that it cease bypassing its membrane filtration plant at Drumcliffe water treatment plant no later than May 1st, 2008, and that failure would be an offence.
The return for trial follows 18 months after the DPP directed that a prosecution initially brought by the EPA in relation to the council not treating water for cryptosporidium be struck out.
The fresh prosecution is being brought under EU drinking water legislation where the accused, if found guilty in the Circuit Court, could face a maximum fine of €500,000 on each count