Postscript 1: The Galway Water Crisis

Abstract

Galway provided another example of ‘risk society’ with the outbreak of a parasitic-related contamination of municipal water supplied in 2007. The ‘Galway Water Crisis’ emerged in March of 2007, in the aftermath of an outbreak of the cryptosporidium parasite in the local water system.¹ This crisis reflects the failure to protect large bodies of water such as Lough Corrib from the impacts of human development. As the degradation of water supplies has continued, urban centres such as Galway have had to contend with boil notices, health warnings and a political ‘blame game’ in the run-up to the 2007 election. This chapter will examine the key issues surrounding the water crisis in the west, detailing the costs of this issue to those charged with dealing with it.

Citation

(2011), "Postscript 1: The Galway Water Crisis", Leonard, L. (Ed.) Community Campaigns for Sustainable Living: Health, Waste & Protest in Civil Society (Advances in Ecopolitics, Vol. 7), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 199-207. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2041-806X(2011)0000007013