ALERT: Boil Water Notice impacting thousands of Waterford households remains in place

Around 4,000 households in County Waterford are being advised the water being supplied to their homes is still not safe to consume and that efforts are continuing to address the issues which are affecting the supply.

Following consultation with the Health Service Executive, Uisce Éireann issued a Boil Water Notice, earlier this week, to protect the health of customers supplied by the Carrick on Suir (Linguan) Public Water Supply Scheme. 

The notice, which was issued on September 3, was as a result of treatment issues at the water treatment plant, which caused the drinking water quality entering the water supply to be affected.

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The State utility says areas impacted include all customers on the Carrick on Suir (Linguan) Public Water Supply which includes North side of the River Suir as well as Friar Street Upper, Corpse Road, Rack Hill, South Quay and Bridge Street on the South side of the River Suir and surrounding areas.

All consumers affected by the notice (see map below) must boil their water before drinking it.  

Uisce Éireann says several areas on the northside of River Suir are not impacted by the Boil Water Notice as are they are supplied from another scheme. These areas include Hazel Close, Hawthorn Cresent, Asgrove, Oak Drive, Beech Ave, Sycamore Close and Mount Saint Nicholas. 

In an update, confirming that the Boil Water Notice remains in place, Uisce Éireann’s Colin Cunningham said: “Public health is Uisce Éireann’s number one priority and we would like to assure customers that the notice has been put in place to protect their wellbeing. "Our compliance and operations experts are on site and are working to lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible. We understand the impact a Boil Water Notice has on the local community and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

Those impacted by the Boil Water Noice must boiled water for the following uses:

* 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.

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

For updates on the Boil Water Notice, click here.