THE full scale of Galway city’s third water contamination crisis in 18 months may not be known for at least another two weeks - but already there are real fears that it could affect as many as 5,000 households.

City Councillors were informed at an emergency Council meeting on Tuesday night that recent testing detected ‘very high levels’ of lead in the water supply of houses in four areas of the city including Old Mervue, Shantalla, Bohermore and the Claddagh.

Water at twelve of the 20 houses tested in the affected areas, where lead piping is still installed in many houses built before 1970, revealed high levels of the metallic element which potentially poses a serious health risk although, so far, nobody has reported ill as a result of this contamination.

Old Mervue is a particularly ‘high risk’ area and approximately 300 houses and up to 1,000 residents there have been advised not to drink the water until further notice.

In all other areas of the city everyone, except pregnant women and children under six living in pre-1970s built homes, can drink the tap water until further notice, according to the City Council.

The Council said there is no lead distribution main outside the Mervue area but there could be lead service connections from the local authority main into homes.

The worst case scenario is.....