Limerick man with health condition advised not to shower at home due to boil notice

A LIMERICK man with a severe health condition has been advised to shower away from his home, while a boil water notice is in place.

“One droplet of the water goes up your nose, you are at high risk,” the young man, who is a son of councillor Kevin Sheahan, has been told by a consultant.

Up to 7,000 people living along the Shannon Estuary have been informed they must boil any water they use for drinking, to kill the presence of cryptosporidium which has been detected in the water supply.

While Uisce Éireann, which issued the boil notice directive, has said water can be used for bathing without boiling it in general, severely immunocompromised people should contact their doctor or GP.

Cryptosporidium can cause respiratory illness if consumed.

The concerns of local residents will be raised and discussed, this Friday, at a special meeting of the Adare/Rathkeale Municipal District.

While representatives of Uisce Éireann have been invited to attend, it's unclear if anyone from the utility will be present at the meeting.

Cllr Sheahan said this Tuesday that his son had been told that it is “preferable” he washes away from the family home in Askeaton for the time being - and away from the area where the boil notice is in place.

As well as Askeaton, this includes Foynes, Ballyhahill, Loghill, Ballysteen, Pallaskenry, Shanagolden, and the surrounding areas.

In an emotional address to this month's local authority meeting, Cllr Sheahan said: “A member of my family picked up the phone and he spoke to a top consultant in Dublin. He asked the question, ‘We are in a boil notice situation down here, can I take a shower with that water?’

Boil water notice issued in Limerick

“The consultant said, ‘For Christ's sake, stay away from that water. You cannot take a shower. One droplet of the water goes up your nose, you are at high risk’.”

In an email seen by the Limerick Leader/Limerick Live, Uisce Eireann (formerly known as Irish Water), said a “conservative date” for the boil notice to be lifted along the Estuary is this December.

The situation led to angry exchanges at this month's local authority meeting, with councillors Adam Teskey and Emmett O'Brien walking out in protest.

Irish Water executives will address councillors on Friday, but the meeting will be held behind closed doors.

There are concerns now of the impact on other people who may be immunocompromised in the district - and the confusion which has been caused.

One person who is impacted by this, but who did not wish to be identified, said: “If you have a shower or bath, do we need to boil the water first? What happens if you do not have a bath in your home, only a shower? How are they supposed to cope?”

She also said the cost of the ESB to heat all the water is prohibitive.

Cllr Sheahan said: “The electorate are all impacted by this. If they are living on the same street as any person under any category I've mentioned, they are impacted.

“Because the strongest thing you have in life is a good neighbour.”

Fellow district councillor Bridie Collins said: “This is an extremely serious issue. There are a lot of immunocompromised people in our district, and this needs to be resolved particularly for them, but also the general public.”

The district's leader, Cllr Stephen Keary admitted fears he may be impacted, given the fact he has gone through cancer treatment himself.

“This is a very sensitive, and very important issue. I understand Kevin's plight and I wish his young fella well. He needs to be safeguarded.”

Uisce Éireann is not at this time proposing to provide any alternative water supply while the area's boil notice is in place, according to communications seen by the Limerick Leader/Limerick Live.

Council boss Dr Pat Daly said he will raise the medical issues with the director of public health immediately.

Kieran Lehane, who is the council's director of water services added: “I fully understand the upset this has caused. From my own part and my colleagues, council is working very hard to get this matter resolved.”

A spokesperson for HSE Public Health Mid-West pointed out that recommendations from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre say severely immunocompromised individuals who are at risk of life-threatening illness from cryptosporidial infection may need to take additional measures to protect their health.