Foul smelling and tasting water is still safe to drink, Sinn Féin's John O'Dowd says

By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

Drinking water in some parts of the North has an “unpleasant taste and smell” but is still safe to drink, Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd has insisted.

Mr O’Dowd said the drinking water was being impacted by increased algae levels in Lough Neagh.

The Stormont Assembly was told there had been a number of complaints about the tap water and some mothers were concerned about using it to feed their children.

The Sinn Féin minister said: “NI Water’s number one priority is the quality and safety of your drinking water.

“I am aware of a number of customers who have been reporting a taste and smell in their drinking water supply in specific areas.

“This is related to increased algae levels in Lough Neagh which contain naturally occurring compounds that may cause an unpleasant taste and smell even after going through NI Water’s robust treatment process.

“NI Water are working to reduce the impact of these compounds as they move through the water supply system and work closely on a daily basis with the Drinking Water Inspectorate and the Public Health Agency to ensure the water is safe to drink.

“I can confirm that NI Water has confirmed to me that the water is safe to drink.

“Processes have included enhanced sampling at the network treatment works, the distribution network and customer taps.”

SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone said he had dealt with numerous complaints about the water supply.

He said: “Young mothers afraid to give it to their children through the food they are providing to the babies.

“Basically a lot of calls about foul taste and foul odours.

“Can the minister give us some indication if additional chemicals have been added to the water supply?”

Mr O’Dowd responded: “Let me emphasise again the the water coming out of our taps is safe to drink and use.”

The minister said his own home was impacted by the same issues but he was continuing to use the water.

He said: “I do use the water, I accept that there is an unpleasant taste and smell for drinking water purposes and some people may wish to have bottled water or other water for that purpose.

“But for all other purposes the water is safe and it’s safe for drinking as well.”

He added: “The smell and taste you are getting at the moment is not chemical, it is a naturally occurring compound in the water.

“It is a timely reminder to us all if we needed it that we need to look after our natural resources, we need to look after Lough Neagh.”

Noxious blooms of blue-green algae have covered large parts of the lough during the past two summers and also affected other waterways and beaches in the region.

Lough Neagh, the biggest freshwater lake by surface area in Ireland, supplies 40 per cent of the North’s drinking water.

The Stormont Executive recently launched an action plan to deal with the environmental crisis at the lough.

DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley said: “You have outlined that NI Water said this water is safe to drink, but if a constituent came to us and said that they smelt for example mould off a packet of ham in their fridge or foul odours from a drum of milk we wouldn’t advise them to drink or eat it.

“So how sure can we be that the water is the same?”

Mr O’Dowd said: “I am satisfied with assurances I have received from NI Water in relation to the quality of our drinking water.

“As I said, my own home is impacted by this and I am using the water in my own home.”