Latest News & Announcements

February 15, 2017

Following advice from the Health Service Executive, Irish Water and Waterford City & County Council have issued a precautionary Boil Water Notice on the Kilmacthomas Water Supply Scheme. Affected householders will be notified by leaflet drop.

The Boil Water Notice has been put in place as a precautionary measure to protect approximately 370 people served by this supply following potential contamination of the spring source.

Irish Water and Waterford City & County Council have provided an alternative water supply while remedial measures are being undertaken at Kilmacthomas and will liaise with the HSE as a matter of priority to lift the Boil Water Notice as quickly as possible. In the meantime, all customers of this supply are advised to boil water before use until further notice.

Irish Water apologises for the inconvenience caused by the imposition of the boil water notice.

Further information and additional advice for consumers is available by calling Irish Water’s 24-hour customer care line at 1850 278 278.

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.
• Prepare infant feeds with water that has been brought to the boil once and cooled. Do not use water that has been re-boiled several times. If bottled water is used for the preparation of infant feeds it should be boiled once and cooled. If you are using bottled water for preparing baby food, be aware that some natural mineral water may have high sodium content.

The legal limit for sodium in drinking water is 200mg per litre. Check the label on the bottled water to make sure the sodium or `Na’ is not greater than 200mg per litre. If it is, then it is advisable to use a different type of bottled water. If no other water is available, then use this water for as short a time as possible. It is important to keep babies hydrated.
Great care should be taken with boiled water to avoid burns and scalds as accidents can easily happen, especially with children.

For media queries, please contact Colm Ward, Regional Media Specialist, at 022-52263 or email colm.ward@ervia.ie