ALERT: Uisce Éireann issues boil water notice to Waterford customers amid health concerns
The boil water notice applies to 1,647 customers in Portlaw and surrounding areas of County Waterford
Uisce Éireann has issued a boil water notice to some customers in County Waterford amid public health concerns.
Customers in Portlaw are being advised to boil their water before using it for drinking, food preparation and brushing teeth until further notice.
The boil water notice applies to 1,647 customers in Portlaw and surrounding areas.
A spokesperson for Uisce Éireann said: “This is an essential measure introduced to protect public health after increased turbidity in the raw water affected the treatment process at the local water treatment plant.
“Our team at Uisce Éireann understands that this will be disruptive and concerning for households and businesses across the area, but we want to reassure customers that we are working to restore normal water quality as quickly as possible.
“We consulted with the Health Service Executive (HSE) before putting this notice in place.”
Customers can check if their property is affected by visiting the Water Quality Section of water.ie and entering their Eircode or by contacting Uisce Éireann’s customer care team, available 24/7, on 1800 278 278.
A map of the affected area is available on the Supply and Service section of water.ie
Uisce Éireann drinking water experts are working to restore normal water quality and lift the notice as quickly and safely as possible, in consultation with the HSE.
Uisce Éireann is also reminding customers that two other boil water notices remain in place in County Waterford.
A boil water notice for approximately 672 customers supplied by the Ballymacarbry Public Water Supply came into effect on July 15.
This followed a deterioration in raw water quality caused by low water levels in the borehole and increased demand, resulting in elevated turbidity levels at Ballymacarbry Upper Water Treatment Plant.
A boil water notice for customers supplied by the Deelish Public Water Supply came into effect on September 24 due to a deterioration in raw water quality which has impacted the treatment process at the local water treatment plant.
Maura Phelan, Water Operations Manager, Uisce Éireann, said: “We know how important a safe and reliable water supply is to everyday life and we understand the inconvenience this notice will cause for customers, families, businesses and community groups across the area.
“Protecting public health is always our top priority. As soon as our monitoring identified issues affecting water quality, we acted immediately in consultation with the HSE to put this notice in place as a safety measure.
“Our teams are doing everything possible to resolve the issue and restore normal water quality as quickly as possible. We would like to thank the community for their patience and cooperation while this essential work is carried out.”
Uisce Éireann's drinking water standards are among the strictest in Europe and include significant safety margins.
Where potential risks to water quality are identified through Uisce Éireann's testing and monitoring programme, the HSE is consulted and precautionary notices may be issued to safeguard public health.
Customers are reminded that water is safe to consume once it has been boiled and cooled.