UPDATE: Thousands of Laois and Offaly homes under Boil Water notice
Laois and Offaly communities under a Boil Water notice including Tullamore and Clonaslee have been urged to keep doing so by Uisce Éireann, in an update issued on Friday, July 7.
Thousands of households are instructed to keep on boiling and cooling their tapwater before drinking it, following the discovery of dangerously poor water quality in the region.
Uisce Éireann says it is still trying to fix the issue, discovered nearly three weeks ago on June 20, affecting some 3,900 customers.
"Of the 2,170 premises that have been affected, 1,732 are located in Co Offaly and 438 in Co Laois.
"All customers on the Tullamore South and Clonaslee Water Supply including Spollanstown, Charleville Road, Clonminch, Clonaslee Village, Castlecuffe, and surrounding areas should continue to boil their water until further notice.
"Drinking water experts from Uisce Éireann and Offaly County Council are working to implement solutions to lift the notice as quickly as possible in consultation with the HSE.
The Boil Water Notice was issued to protect health due to "raw water quality issues which are impacting the treatment processes at the water treatment plant".
John Gavin is Regional Asset Operations Lead at Uisce Éireann.
“In conjunction with Offaly County Council, we are continuing to improve the water treatment processes at the treatment plant. Once these improvements have been completed, and the plant is fully operational, we will undertake sampling, monitoring the performance of the plant with a move towards lifting the Boil Water Notice, in consultation with the HSE. Please be assured we are working to resolve the issue and lift the notice as quickly as possible.”
“Public health remains our number one priority and we appreciate the impact that this notice is having on our customers in the area,” he said.
In the meantime, all customers on this supply are advised to boil and cool their water before consuming until further notice.
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.
Use cooled boiled water when preparing foods that will not be cooked (e.g. washing salads).
Unboiled water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing and flushing of toilets but not for brushing teeth or gargling;
Boil tje 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.
Uisce Éireann have some clear warnings on what not to do.
"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.
"Great care should be taken with boiled water to avoid burns and scalds as accidents can easily happen, especially with children."
The usual rules apply on 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."
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.
Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communication on Boil Water Notices.
Uisce Éireann say that their 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 they say they take immediate action 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.
See updates and maps of the areas affected on water.ie. Their customer care helpline, open 24/7 is 1800 278 278.