Boil Water Notice imposed in July continues for nearly 3,800 Tipperary consumers

 Uisce Éireann, in partnership with Tipperary County Council, says it is continuing to progress works to lift the Boil Water Notice in place for customers supplied by Burncourt Regional and Burncourt Ballylooby Public Water Supplies.

The notice is in place due to the deterioration of raw water quality which has impacted the treatment processes at the water treatment plant.

The notice impacts customers in Burncourt, Ballyporeen, Clogheen, Ballylooby, Mitchelstown Road in Cahir, and surrounding areas. The notice also impacts customers on the Kiltankin and Clonmore South Group Water Schemes. Customers can check if their property is included by visiting the Water Quality section of www.water.ie and entering the property’s Eircode or by calling the Uisce Éireann customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278. 

While drinking water experts from Uisce Éireann are working to implement measures to lift the Boil Water Notice, all customers on this supply are advised to continue to boil their water before use until further notice. Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled.

Uisce Éireann’s Kieran Fay sai:, “We wish to assure customers that we are working to resolve the issues at the water treatment plant and we acknowledge the impact this is having on the community. Uisce Éireann continues to work in delivering a sustainable engineering solution to address the surface water quality issues at Burncourt Water Treatment Plant.  Various trials have been undertaken over the previous month. These trials will continue to be carried out at the treatment plant to assist in identifying a more robust treatment system to manage the  variable surface water quality which has arisen this summer. We wish to assure customers that we are finalising the design of the long term solution and once finalised, will progress the delivery of the required process and infrastructure interventions at the plant itself to assist in lifting the Boil Water Notice. Public health is Uisce Éireann’s number one priority and I want to acknowledge the inconvenience that this notice is causing to the local community.”

Uisce Éireann’s drinking water standards, as per EU Drinking Water regulations, are strict and include wide safety margins. Where risks to water quality are identified through Uisce Éireann’s enhanced testing and monitoring programme, the Health Service Executive (HSE) are consulted, and Boil Water Notices are issued to protect public health. In all instances immediate action is taken to address the cause of the issue to enable the lifting of the notice as quickly as it safe to do so, in agreement with the HSE.

Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communication on Boil Water Notices. 

Water must be boiled for:

• Drinking;
• Drinks made with water;
• Preparation of salads and similar foods, which are not cooked prior to eating;
• Brushing of teeth;
• Making of ice - discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges. Make ice from cooled boiled water.

What actions should be taken:

• Use water prepared for drinking when preparing foods that will not be cooked (e.g. washing salads);
• Water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing and flushing of toilets but not for brushing teeth or gargling;
• Boil water by bringing to a vigorous, rolling boil (e.g. with an automatic kettle) and allow to cool. Cover and store in a refrigerator or cold place. Water from the hot tap is not safe to drink. Domestic water filters will not render water safe to drink;
• Caution should be taken when bathing children to ensure that they do not swallow the bathing water;
• Preparing Infant Formula: Where a Boil Water Notice is in place, you can prepare infant formula from tap water that has been boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute) and cooled beforehand. Bottled water can also be used to make up infant formula. All bottled water, with the exception of natural mineral water, is regulated to the same standard as drinking water. It is best not to use bottled water labelled as ‘Natural Mineral Water’ as it can have high levels of sodium (salt) and other minerals, although it rarely does. ‘Natural Mineral Water’ can be used if no other water is available, for as short a time as possible, as it is important to keep babies hydrated. If bottled water is used to make up infant formula it should be boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute), and cooled in the normal way. Ready-to-use formula that does not need added water can also be used.

Great care should be taken with boiled water to avoid burns and scalds as accidents can easily happen, especially with children.

Updates are available on our Water Supply Updates section on water.ie, on Twitter @IWCare and via our customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278.