Officials in Galway are meeting today to discuss measures aimed at halting the spread of a parasite that has affected water supplies in the city and county.
Residents have already been told that boiling water for food preparation is now "essential" to avoid contracting a gastro-intestinal illness caused by the parasite.
The "boil water" notice is expected to last for weeks, affecting some 90,000 people in the city and surrounding county areas from Tuam in the north, to Athenry in the south and Moycullen in the west.
Since January 60 cases of cryptosporidiosis,a diarrheal illness, have been reported in the Galway area. Of those , 36 have occurred in the last three weeks.
Last year a total of 73 cases of the disease were reported in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.
Director of Services for Galway County Council, Jim Cullen, said engineers were looking at ways of filtering out the parasite at the Headford water treatment plant. The parasite cannot be killed off by putting chemicals in the water.
Ciarán Hayes, Galway City Council director of services, said a long-term solution is a major new water treatment plant in the city.