Update from Uisce Eireann
18 October 2023: Uisce Éireann is working to lift the Boil Water Notice in place for customers supplied by Cappamore Foileen Public Water Supply. The notice was put in place on 26 September due to the detection of cryptosporidium in the water supply.
The notice impacts all customers supplied by the Cappamore Foileen Public Water Supply including 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 customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278.
While drinking water experts from Uisce Éireann are working to implement measures to lift the Boil Water Notice, all customers on this supply are advised to continue to boil their water before use until further notice. Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled.
Uisce Éireann’s Duane O’Brien said, “Public health is Uisce Éireann’s number one priority and I want to acknowledge the inconvenience that this Boil Water Notice is causing to the local community. Works are underway at the treatment plant to eliminate this risk and safeguard the supply for the future. Uisce Éireann’s drinking water standards, as per EU Drinking Water regulations, are strict and include wide safety margins. Where risks to water quality are identified through Uisce Éireann’s enhanced testing and monitoring programme, the Health Service Executive (HSE) are consulted, and Boil Water Notices are issued to protect public health. In all instances immediate action is taken to address the cause of the issue to enable the lifting of the notice as quickly as it safe to do so, in agreement with the HSE.”
Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communication on Boil Water Notices.
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 are available on our Water Supply Updates section on water.ie, on Twitter @IWCare and via our customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278.
From: cappamore.ie <cappamore.ie@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday 27 October 2023 09:48 FAO: Brian O’Gorman, Customer Commercial Support Manage, Uisce Éireann
Dear Brian,
We have noted your guidance regarding our water scheme in Foileen, Cappamore dated the 26 Sept 2023.
It is now a month since the notice was issued , and we have not received any further updates regarding our water supply.
There are signifinicant numbers of people complaining about the sitiuation and asking members of the Cappamore Development Association as to what exactly is going on.
The people are very upset and rightly concerned about the issue, and it is the first time in 50 years that there has been a contaminatoin of the scheme.
We would be grateful if Uisce Eireann could provide:
- an explantion as to what caused the contamination of our scheme
- details of the measures being done to rectify the situation
- approximate date as to when the water scheme will be available again
- a committement to keep the community informed as to what is going on with regular updates
- details of actions been taken to mitigate against such an event happening again .
Please note any response received will be placed on the cappamore.ie web site which reaches approx 1400 email and social media followers
Regards
Gerard Lynch,
Secretary
Cappamore Development Association
cappamore.ie
www.cappamore.ie
Original message