Boil water notice issued in Limerick

A BOIL WATER notice has been issued in West Limerick.

Almost 200 customers are impacted by the notice, announced this evening by Uisce Éireann in partnership with Limerick City and County Council.

It affects north-west Dromcollogher village and its surrounds.

The notice is being issued to protect the health of 197 customers due to issues with treatment processes at the water treatment plant.

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’s customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278.

Drinking water experts from Uisce Éireann (fomerly Irish Water) and Limerick council are working to rectify the issues at the treatment plant and lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible, in consultation with the HSE.

Duane O’ Brien, Uisce Éireann, said the utility regrets the inconvenience to impacted customers.

"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 public health. We acknowledge the inconvenience caused to homes and businesses and would like to assure customers that we are working to resolve the issue and lift the notice as quickly as possible," he said.

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Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled.

Water must be boiled for drinking, drinks made with water, and the preparation of uncooked salads and similar foods.

On top of this, water must be boiled for the brushing of teeth and the making of ice.

Irish Water is advising people to use water prepared for drinking when preparing foods that will not be cooked, for example the washing of salads.

Water can also be used for personal hygiene, bathing and flushing of toilets but not for brushing teeth or gargling.

As for preparing infant formula, where a boil water notice is in place, you can prepare infant formula from tap water that has been boiled once 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.

It's not the first boil water notice to hit Limerick in recent weeks. Already, 7,000 householders along the Shannon Estuary are impacted by a separate notice.