Boil Water Notice on Loughrea Town Supply lifted with immediate effect
Customers in Loughrea town can now resume normal use of the public water supply.
Information below is relevant until further updates are provided here or on our Supply and Service Updates section
The Boil Water Notice on the Loughrea Town Supply in Co Galway has been lifted with immediate effect.
Uisce Éireann can confirm that, following consultation with the Health Service Executive, customers in Loughrea town can now resume normal use of the public water supply.
The Boil Water Notice was issued on Sunday, January 26. Loughrea is usually supplied by the Tuam Regional Water Supply but disruption to the town’s supply in the wake of Storm Éowyn meant an alternative, temporary supply was activated for the town. This supply was placed under a Boil Water Notice to protect the health of approximately 5,500 customers.
Drinking water experts from Uisce Éireann worked to lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible. Following satisfactory water sampling results, the notice has now been lifted.
Uisce Éireann’s Thomas Gibbons acknowledged the impact of a Boil Water Notice on customers and thanked the community for their support while the notice was in place.
“Uisce Éireann’s primary focus remains the protection of public health and we worked with our stakeholders to lift the notice as quickly as possible. We are grateful to customers, elected representatives, and the media for their assistance in sharing information on the Boil Water Notice,” said Thomas.
Uisce Éireann is committed to keeping customers informed across multiple platforms 24/7 and we encourage customers to engage with us through our website, X channels @IWCare and @IrishWater, on Facebook and LinkedIn and through our customer care helpline which is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278.
Previous update
Crews continue to work to lift the Boil Water Notice in place for customers on the Loughrea Town Supply in Co Galway.
The Boil Water Notice was put in place on Sunday, January 26 after consultation between Uisce Éireann and the HSE following Storm Éowyn. The Boil Water Notice for the Loughrea Town Supply affects approximately 5,500 customers in the town of Loughrea only. Homes and businesses in Loughrea are usually supplied by the Tuam Regional Water Supply; however, because of power outages causing a disruption to that supply in the wake of Storm Éowyn, an alternative, temporary supply has been activated for Loughrea Town.
The Boil Water Notice impacts on this alternative supply only and does not apply to any other part of the Tuam Regional Water Supply. All other customers on the Tuam Regional Water Supply can use their water as normal.
Maps of affected areas are available to view on the supply and service section.
Uisce Éireann’s primary focus is and always will be the protection of public health. Monitoring of the supply is continuing and the notice will be reviewed again in the coming days. In the meantime, all customers on the Loughrea Town Supply are advised to boil and cool their water before use until further notice.
Uisce Eireann’s Justin Doran thanked the local community for their co-operation and assured them that teams are working to lift the notice as quicky and safely as possible.
“I want to acknowledge the inconvenience that the Boil Water Notice is causing local communities but public health is Uisce Éireann’s number one priority and the notice is in place to protect the health of local residents,” said Justin.
“Drinking water experts from Uisce Éireann are working, in consultation with the HSE, to implement solutions to lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible.”
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 HSE is 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. Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled.
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.
Uisce Éireann is committed to keeping customers informed across multiple platforms 24/7 and we encourage customers to engage with us through our website, X channels @IWCare and @IrishWater, on Facebook and LinkedIn and through our customer care helpline which is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278.
Uisce Éireann has launched a free text service, providing real-time updates for local issues. Customers can sign up with their Eircode and mobile number by click here.
Uisce Éireann has issued a Boil Water Notice to protect the health of customers in Loughrea Town.
Homes and businesses in Loughrea Town are usually supplied by the Tuam Regional Water Supply.
However, because of power outages causing a disruption to that supply, an alternative, temporary supply has been activated for Loughrea Town.
The new supply will allow Uisce Éireann to provide water to the town and the Boil Water Notice will protect the health of approximately 5,500 customers. All customers on this supply 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 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 areas affected are attached and available to view on the supply and service section of water.ie.
Drinking water experts from Uisce Éireann are working to rectify the issue and lift the Boil Water Notices as quickly and as safely as possible, in consultation with the HSE. In the meantime, all customers on these supplies are advised to boil water before use until further notice.
Ger Greally, Uisce Éireann, regrets the inconvenience to impacted customers. “Public health is Uisce Éireann number one priority and we would like to assure customers that the notice has been put in place to protect public health. We acknowledge the inconvenience caused to homes and businesses and would like to assure customers that we are working to restore the original supply and lift the notice as quickly and as safely possible.”
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. Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled.
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.
Uisce Éireann is committed to keeping customers informed across multiple platforms 24/7 and we encourage customers to engage with us through our website, X channels @IWCare and @IrishWater, on Facebook and LinkedIn and through our customer care helpline which is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278. Uisce Éireann has launched a free text service, providing real-time updates for local issues. Customers can sign up with their Eircode and mobile number.
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