Residents of Carraroe in Connemara have accused the Government of failing to meet its commitments on water quality, following another incidence of serious contamination of the village's drinking water.
Heavy rain over the past weekend resulted in raw sewage running into Loch an Mhuilinn, the lake beside the Co Galway village which is the main source of fresh drinking water for more than 1,000 houses.
Galway County Council said yesterday it had not witnessed the incident, but was taking samples from the lake. It said samples taken generally in Carraroe suggested that the quality of the water was "fine".
However, this is disputed by Carraroe residents, represented by Coiste Uisce na Ceathrún Rua, who have waged a campaign dating back 20 years to improve water quality in the area.
Mr Seosamh Ó Cuaig, member of the coiste and representative on Údarás na Gaeltachta, said the situation had already been appealed to Europe, and yet the Government did not seem to be prepared to regard people's health as a priority.
A publican and teacher, Mr Peadar Ó Sé, of An Cistín in Carraroe, said any county council official who visited the area after heavy rain would see the situation for themselves.
"When there's a lot of rain, the surface water runs into the sewerage system and then into the lake, and the manhole covers on the road lift with the pressure. You can see the toilet paper running out on to the road, and it really is quite disgusting.
"Nobody here drinks the tap water, and most of us will drive the four miles to Rossaveal - or in my case, to Spiddal - to fill up cans.
"In the pub here, people will drink bottled water, but it can be very awkward having to advise visitors that they should also do the same and that tap water just isn't safe."
Carraroe hosts students on Gaeltacht courses during the summer, and NUI Galway is also developing a campus in the community. "So it's not just the residents that are affected by this," Mr Ó Sé said.
Galway County Council said yesterday that remedial works to repair pipes had been carried out from time to time, and Carraroe was earmarked for a new sewerage and water scheme. However, the coiste says that such a scheme must be installed as a matter of urgency, and an alternative source of water must be provided for the community in the interim.
Last year the European Parliament's petitions committee highlighted Carraroe as one instance where the Irish authorities were not complying with the EU Drinking Water Directive. In its report, the committee criticised the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for relying on data from local authorities, rather than independent sources, for its conclusions on water quality.
The report noted that plans by Galway County Council to deal with the problem in Carraroe had "gone from one delay to the next".
It also criticised the EPA for accepting the quality of drinking water in Kilkenny as satisfactory when the water there was found to contain more than 100 times the EU limit of aluminium contamination.