Project Page Views: [ 677 ]
| Project Metadata Element | Details |
| Project Title | Economic Assessment of the Waterborne Outbreak of Cryptosporidiosis in Galway, 2007 |
| Research Area | Water |
| Project Acronym | STRIVE - Project Based Awards |
| Principal Investigator or Lead Irish Partner | Dearbhaile Morris |
| Lead Institution or Organisation | National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) |
| Lead Country | Ireland |
| Latitude, Longitude (of Lead Institution) | 53.27905, -9.05794 |
| Lead Funding Entity | Environmental Protection Agency |
| Approximate Project Start Date | 01/04/2014 |
| Approximate Project Finishing Date | 01/10/2015 |
| Project Website (if any) | |
| Links to other Web-based resources | |
| Project Keywords | Cryptosporidium; Galway; Water treatment; Economic impact |
| Project Abstract | In March 2007, the largest outbreak of cryptosporidiosis since surveillance began was identified in Galway. The outbreak lasted for 5 months during which time a boil water notice was in place affecting approximately 90,000 people. This had a major impact on residents, tourists, local businesses and local authorities. Significant investments were made in upgrading the water treatment plants serving Galway City and surrounding areas, however the full economic impact of the outbreak on all concerned has not been evaluated to date. This proposal aims to place a monetary value on the costs and inconveniences imposed on the public, local businesses, the health care system, local authorities and national agencies. The proposal will assess the impact on economic output in sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and other water dependent sectors. The outbreak has had negative impacts on the public's confidence in the water supply. Although challenging, this study will explore this to articulate a framework that encompasses such qualitative aspects in valuing the economic loss due to the incident. The proposal also aims to estimate a cost to benefit ratio for the incident as a whole, which will be useful for policy makers to validate investments in water in Ireland. |