Irish Water extends ‘do not drink’ notice for County Limerick town

IRISH Water says a ‘do not drink’ notice which was issued for the Public Water Supply in Rathkeale remains in place until further notice.

The notice was issued as a precautionary measure on Friday following an increase in turbidity in the raw water source for the water supply.

Irish Water drinking says its staff were working with crews from Limerick City and County Council to resolve this situation as soon as possible.

See https://t.co/Yw4MsQBXw3 for details and advice in relation to the Do Not Drink Notice issued on the RathKeale Public Water Supply. @Limerick_Leader @LimerickCouncil @LimLive95fm

— Irish Water (@IrishWater) October 5, 2018

Water sampling is being carried out in the area and drilling work is being conducted to identify possibly alternative water sources.

The Health Service Executive is also being briefed in relation the issue.

Irish Water says until the notice is lifted, water should not be used for drinking or preparing drinks or uncooked foods or for washing teeth.

Supplies of bottled water will be available while this notice remains in place and can be collected at the Square, Rathkeale. 

Elderly or vulnerable customers who have particular requirements should contact 1850 278 278.

“We would like to assure our customers that we are doing everything possible to restore a normal water supply as quickly as possible, once it is safe to do so. We acknowledge that this is causing inconvenience for people living in the area and would like thank them for their patience and support as we work to resolve this issue," said Ian O’Mahony, Irish Water Operations Lead for Limerick.

Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water. Certain water supplies can be prone to increased levels of turbidity after heavy rain, or because algae has grown in the water source or because material such as sediment in the water mains has been disrupted.

Additional information and advice is available at Water Supply Updates or by calling Irish Water’s 24-hour customer care line at 1850 278 278.