The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has claimed it told Wicklow County Council of uranium 238 contamination of a public water supply in Baltinglass more than a month before the council shut down the supply.
The EPA said yesterday that it told the council the levels of uranium were in excess of World Health Organisation guidelines on October 9th last. The EPA advised the council that the situation should not be allowed to continue.
The Southwestern Area Health Board said yesterday that Wicklow County Council had not approached the Eastern Regional Health Authority until "earlier this week". The health board said that as a result it had advised the council on Tuesday to close the well.
The health board will hold an emergency meeting tonight to discuss the uranium contamination.
However, those affected by the contaminated water - including a district hospital - are concerned that during a number of council meetings, including one which discussed water quality problems in Arklow, no mention was made of the contamination in Baltinglass. Last Wednesday it was announced that the well had been shut down.
Labour councillor Mr Tommy Cullen, whose home is affected by the well and who is also the chairman of the Southwestern Area Health Board's area committee, said he was incensed by "the news that Wicklow County Council at the highest levels knew my water was contaminated for a month before they told me and others affected".
A spokesman for Wicklow County Council said the first recommendation to close the well had come from the health board and this had been received on Wednesday. The advice had been to close the well as "a purely precautionary measure".
The council arranged with the health board to carry out a comprehensive sampling programme.
The council will also engage specialist consultants to advise on how to handle the problem. The consultants' brief includes assessing the implications of the discovery of what is thought to be naturally occurring uranium 238 for other water sources in the county.
The closure of the well means a reduction of about 20 per cent in the town's water supply and the council was yesterday distributing the remaining water supply over the entire system.
In order to ensure that every household gets a supply, householders were asked to be sparing in their use of water.
In a statement issued yesterday the council said it continues to liaise with the health board, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, the Environmental Protection Agency, Geological Survey of Ireland and the Department of Environment and Local Government, in order to ensure that the problem is satisfactorily addressed.
