A PLAN by Meath County Council to abstract water from the River Boyne just downstream of Trim's sewage outfall has been described as "absolute madness" by a local independent councillor, Mr Phil Cantwell.
"We've done some stupid things in Co Meath over the past 30 years, but this is the daddy of them all", he said, adding that the proposed £2.8 million water scheme (aided by a £2 million EU grant) would pose a serious risk to public health.
Mr Cant well, a professionally qualified engineer, has organised a public meeting in the Diocesan Hall in Trim tonight to highlight the issue and put pressure on the council to change its plans.
He said the council had held a public information meeting last Monday week, in mid afternoon when most people were at work and no adequate explanation was offered for the proposal.
The council plans to take drinking water from the Boyne at a new treatment plant located only three quarters of a mile downstream of the treated sewage effluent outfall into the river.
Mr Cantwell said the sewage was treated "only when the treatment plant works". In 1994 it had broken down for six weeks because of a faulty gearbox. He said Dr Austin Darragh had confirmed on local radio this week that water contaminated by sewage effluent, can spread viruses such hepatitis.
"The only excuse Meath bounty Council can offer is that there's no difference in water quality above and below the sewage outfall", he said.
Mr Michael Fitzpatrick, administrative officer in the council's environment section, explained that the water intake point had been selected because it was "the nearest point to the existing water treatment works".
Tests carried out by the council and the Environmental Protection Agency had also shown that water quality was the same upstream and downstream of Trim he confirmed, adding that the water would be treated to the required EU standard.
Asked about breakdowns in the sewage treatment plant, Mr Fitzpatrick said work was to start on a new plant by the end of this year and this would be able to "handle a breakdown for two days before any raw sewage entered the river".
