Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 5 November 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government

Issues Affecting the Quality of Water: Discussion

Mr. Niall Gleeson:

The turbidity levels in the plant need to come back below acceptable levels. To clarify, the reason we are so focused on the turbidity, or cloudiness, of the water coming out through the filter beds is that for the measurements we are taking, once the turbidity goes above a certain level, it means that the cryptosporidium or giardia bugs can get through the filter beds. We are not measuring continuously for the bugs. We are measuring the beds to see what level of particles is getting through. If larger particles are getting through, then there is a chance that giardia or cryptosporidium can get through too. It is precautionary.