Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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I live in Leixlip and we have always had our water supplied by the Fingal treatment plant. It has been expanded to provide water to other locations in recent years as it has been augmented. I do not remember there ever being a boil water notice at that plant. This is the first time and it has happened twice in a few weeks. What is different about Leixlip in terms of the Liffey is that while Poulaphouca is supplied closer to the source, Leixlip takes its intake further downstream. Upstream to that there are sewage treatments plants and pumping stations. We have become accustomed to keeping an eye on the river and if there is a grey look about it we would be concerned. Was there an issue in respect of the intake? One reason that was given was the very heavy fall of rain, which is not unique as I think we will all accept. What is the nature of this discolouring? Is it internal or external?

Is it correct that there are three production lines, one of which is old and two of which are new? Was the plant designed to allow them to be separated, or can that be done? Why is the output of the entire plant, both the new and the old sections, contaminated?

Finally, I refer to the spillage upstream at Osberstown wastewater treatment plant in March. It might have been caused by one of the pumping stations. Are there holding tanks at the pumping stations in case of failures, as opposed to at the treatment plant? The volume of that spillage, 12,300 cu. m, translates to something in the region of 600 lorry-loads. It was huge. What is the additional dosage when that happens, and what is the communication between the two plants like?