THE return of the drinking water supply to Nenagh, Co Tipperary, received a serious setback yesterday with the announcement that a new well is contaminated.
The town's drinking water supply has now been affected for almost three months, with people drinking tank water. The Environmental Protection Agency is to take legal action against the pharmaceutical manufacturer, Procter & Gamble, for pollution, along with the Tubex factory, manufacturer of small plastic packages for Procter & Gamble.
There are also legal moves against SFADCo which is responsible for drainage pipes near the polluted Gortlandroe well, the town's main water supply.
The Gortlandroe well is beside Procter & Gamble on the Gortlandroe Industrial Estate. It is also close to the Tubex factory, the SFADCo foul sewer and the Urban District Council town sewer.
Engineers had been boring for new sources, but yesterday it was disclosed, in a statement by Nenagh UDC, that minute traces of some of the same chemicals identified in the Gortlandroe well had been found in the new Melrose bore hole.
The Nenagh town clerk, Mr Tony McCormack, said in the statement: "These were at much lower levels and continue to pose no danger to public health.
"Despite this, Nenagh UDC does not consider their presence desirable in the public water supply and, accordingly, has proceeded with the old Birr Road bore hole water supply. This is being exhaustively tested to confirm the absence of these minute traces of chemicals.
"It is hoped that satisfactory results will allow Nenagh UDC to declare the water fit for human consumption and that the end of the problem is in sight."
The vice-chairman of Nenagh Chamber of Commerce, Mr Peter Ward, expressing his concern, added that the chamber would welcome more precise information. "We feel the water needs further investigation, possibly a thorough hydrogeological survey of the area.
"It is of great concern to learn publicly at this stage that another well in the area is contaminated with some of the same substances as identified in the Gortlandroe well."
A Greenpeace spokesman said it was very worrying that traces of these same elements were found at the Melrose source. "If it's there, it means that quite a large quantity of water has been contaminated."
Analysis of the contaminated water in Nenagh has shown that substances known as siloxanes, used by Procter & Gamble, were present in the water, as were Vitamin E acetates, nonylphenols and galaxolide. A trichlorethane was found, a chemical used by Tubex, and E coli bacteria.