Water contamination ‘not’ a health risk

Fingal County Council was enlightened on the problem recently after a Baldoyle resident noticed that their tap water was discoloured.

The discovery started a panic in the area, with a host of residents rushing to buy bottled water to combat the problem.

However, a spokeswoman for the council has stated that although the water may taste unpleasant to drink, it is not a health threat.

She said: “Usually the problem resolves within an hour or two when the disturbance has finished.

“Regarding the material, it is mainly iron which builds up due to the reaction with the water and oxygen within the watermain, giving an orange colour to the water.”

It is believed the problem was caused by dirty water getting into the water distribution system following the repairing of a broken main and that the problem should now be solved.

Fingal County Council Water Services Department is responsible for the delivery of safe, high quality drinking water to around 90,000 households.