Boil water notice issued by Uisce Eireann for thousands of Limerick residents

A BOIL WATER notice, impacting thousands of people, has been issued for part of County Limerick this Tuesday evening, until further notice.

Following consultation with the Health Service Executive, Uisce Éireann has issued a Boil Water Notice for the area supplied by the Cappamore Foileen Public Water Supply to protect public health. 

The population impacted by this notice is approximately 2,321 people. This notice is being issued due to the detection of cryptosporidium. The affected area includes Carrigmore which is now supplied from the Cappamore scheme.

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. A map of the area is attached and available to view on the supply and service section of water.ie. 

Experts from Uisce Éireann are assessing the situation with a view to having the notice lifted as quickly and safely as possible. In the meantime, all customers of this supply are advised to boil water before use until further notice.

Duane O’Brien, Uisce Éireann, has acknowledged the impact this notice will have on the community and apologised for the inconvenience to customers: 

“We are working to restore drinking water quality for all impacted customers. We will monitor the supply over the coming days and will seek to lift the notice in consultation with the HSE as quickly as it is safe to do so.”

Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann will be contacted directly about this notice. Anyone who has concerns can contact our customer care team on 1800 278 278 or log onto the water supply and service section of water.ie for information.  

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Water must be boiled for:

• 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. 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. 

Updates will be available on the Water Supply Updates section on water.ie including a map of the affected area, on Twitter @IWCare and via our customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278. 

Customers are advised to set their location on water.ie to view updates specific to their water supply. Further information in relation to the boil water notice is available on Uisce Éireann's Boil Water Notice page.