BREAKING: Partial lifting of the Boil Water Notice for some customers  in Offaly

Uisce Éireann in partnership with Offaly and Laois County Councils continues to progress works to lift the Boil Water Notice (BWN) as quickly as possible for all customers on the Tullamore South and Clonaslee Water Supply, in consultation with the HSE.

Customers in Colliers Brook estate and the Spollanstown Industrial Estate in Tullamore have been removed from the Boil Water Notice

The BWN was issued as a precaution on 20 July to protect the health of approximately 3,900 customers due to issues with the raw water quality which impacted water treatment processes at the treatment plant. 

Following the completion of network reconfiguration, the boil water notice has been lifted with immediate effect for Colliers Brook estate and the Spollanstown Industrial Estate. All consumers within the Colliers Brook Estate and Spollanstown Industrial Estate can now resume normal use of the water supply for drinking, food preparation and brushing teeth. 

Uisce Éireann, Offaly County Council and Laois County Council continue to work to lift the BWN as quickly as possible, in consultation with the HSE, for remaining customers including reviewing ongoing process control, and monitoring and testing of the drinking water supply. 

In the meantime, Uisce Éireann advises that all remaining customers on the Tullamore South and Clonaslee Water Supply including Spollanstown,Charleville Road and Clonminch, Clonaslee village, Castlecuffe and surrounding areas should continue to boil their water until further notice

John Gavin Uisce Éireann said: “In conjunction with Offaly and Laois County Councils, we would like to assure customers that we are working hard to lift the BWN as quickly as possible. Once these issues have been addressed, we will undertake sampling and monitoring of the network with a view to lifting the Boil Water Notice, in consultation with the HSE, for the remaining customers. Please be assured we are working to resolve the issue and lift the notice as quickly as possible.”

“Public health remains our number one priority and we appreciate the impact that this notice is having on our customers in the area.”  

In the meantime, customers in the areas outlined above are advised to boil and cool their water before use until further notice. 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. An updated map of the area is attached and available to view on the supply and service section of water.ie. Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communication on Boil Water Notices. Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled.

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.

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.