Into the future

Rural Water News Autumn 2006
Water treatment scam
group schemes urged to alert consumers
A senior member of the
National Federation of Group
Water Schemes (NFGWS)
has urged local GWS boards
of management to alert their
members to a growing scam
whereby some companies are
using pressure sales techniques
and misinformation to
sell costly and unnecessary
water treatment packages to
individual householders.
NFGWS Secretary, Tony
Prendiville, has claimed that
parts of Ireland are ‘plagued’
by companies targeting ‘the
vulnerable and the gullible’
to sell systems priced at
between a2,000 and a3,000.
His assertion is confirmed by
the experience of GWS
activists in several counties,
including Tommy Wallace of
Bulgaden GWS in County
Limerick who says that in his
area these companies tended
to focus especially, though
not exclusively, on the homes
of parents with small babies
and on the homes of older
people.
Pure H 2 O
A company with registered
offices at Cherry Lodge,
Leeson Park, Dublin 6, Pure
H 2 O has been identified as
being particularly active in
the midlands and western
counties. While their products
may or may not perform
as advertised, it is the
sales techniques employed
by this company that have
raised the hackles of group
water scheme activists and
local authority personnel.
Company salespersons
reportedly misquote EPA
reports, deride the local water
supplier, undermine and
belittle the testing procedures
of local authorities and the
HSE alike and ‘demonstrate’
that the local treated water
supply is unfit for human
consumption.
Scare-mongering is an
essential part of sales tactics.
At least one salesperson
reportedly claimed that the
sampled treated water supply
could cause stomach cancer,
kidney stones and even
Alzheimer's!
Unsavoury
Jason Kiernan of the Office
of the Director of Consumer
Affairs has told Rural Water
News that such tactics, while
unsavoury, are not illegal. At
least not yet, but new consumer
legislation, to be
become law in 2007, will
make it an offense to sell
goods through deceitful
means.
In the meantime, Tony
Prendiville argues that GWS
boards of management ‘need
to get the message out to their
members that a treated water
supply is both safe and
wholesome and does not
require any further treatment
process’. Consumers should
also be alerted that in purchasing
such systems, they
often unwittingly buy into a
service contract, which
results in ongoing payments
Tommy Wallace, Bulgaden GWS
GROUP WATER SCHEMES
Water Well Drilling
Notice
Water Quality Improvements at Source
Generally the least cost (vis-à-vis chemical treatment systems)
and perhaps the most important part of your group
water supply is to consider how you can improve the quality
of Groundwater at source.
• Low-cost trial drilling can establish water supply and
water quality prior to developing production well/treatment
system specification.
• Cement-sealed wells to prevent shallow surface-water
entering supply, thereby reducing the threat of bacteria
contamination of groundwater.
• Installation of inert uPVC casing/screen OR stainless steel
screen with gravel pack between screen section and openhole
can prevent ingress of silt/sand into water supply.
Contact the Experienced Professionals
Patrick Briody & Sons Ltd
Briody Aquadrill Services
The Grove
Rathangan, Co. Kildare
Tel. (045) 524360 or (087) 2589313 Fax (045) 524785
Website www.briodydrilling.com
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