WHILE I have had some concerns about the coverage by The Irish News on Lough Neagh, I was pleased to see John Manley probe into NI Water and the testing of drinking water.
Many locals and activists connected to the campaign found it alarming that warnings to the public had not been given and that reassurances about the drinking water had been provided at the height of the algae blooms.
Many of us in the area, aware of the scale of the crisis, were calling it a public health emergency and doing all we could to raise the alarm and warn people.
Anybody near the lough understood how harmful the algae was to the environment, the wildlife and the public, but for many, out of sight is out of mind.
It is good that Queen’s University has recently published important research on the blooms and it is good to see journalists, like Mr Manley, continue to inform and educate the public on what is happening.
Lough Neagh supplies the water for many in Belfast and other towns but many people are unaware of where their water is coming from.
This article by John Manley (August 13) highlights what a few of us already feared.
Some of us were calling for safeguards and safety measures to be put in place to protect the public. It is important to remember no political representatives, parties, departments or NI Water warned the public about the potential dangers of drinking the water.
My gut tells me that this will haunt our civil service, departments and main political parties for decades to come.
The lough looked radioactive from space in satellite images, and nobody considered it might be a good idea for the public to exercise caution before ingesting – particularly children, the elderly, and the vulnerable.
Time will tell if we are watching the largest political scandal this country has ever seen unfold, which may make RHI look positively tame and moderate in comparison.
