Irish Water Contaminated – Treatment
The Irish Times Thu, Jun 5, 2014, 11:38
Water from third of Irish wells ‘contaminated with E. coli’
EPA says cases of variant strain of bacteria rose from 284 in 2011 to 704 last year
Ciaran D’Arcy
First published:Thu, Jun 5, 2014, 11:38
Nearly a third of all private wells in Ireland are contaminated with E. coli and contain water that is unsafe for consumption, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said.
Recent studies revealed that Ireland has the highest incidence of VTEC (Verotoxigenic E. coli), a particularly nasty form of the bacteria, in Europe.
Cases of the variant strain have increased in the State from 284 in 2011 to 704 in 2013. The bacteria is known to induce symptoms such as abdominal cramps and diarrhoea as well as potential kidney failure for children, according to Dr Una Fallon, chair of the HSE’s National Drinking Water Group.