Precautionary Boil Water Notice lifted for customers in Waterford City and County

Uisce Éireann and Waterford City and County Council have issued a precautionary Boil Water Notice, effective from Wednesday at 12 midnight (00.01 Thursday), to protect the health of approximately 63,600 customers supplied by Adamstown, Stradbally and Ballylaneen Water Treatment Plants. This is due to planned industrial action, arising from a dispute between the Unite Trade Union and 12 Local Authorities.

Uisce Éireann’s primary focus is and always will be the protection of public health. Due to the strike action, Uisce Éireann has taken steps to protect public health by imposing Boil Water Notices on these schemes. All customers in the following areas are advised to boil their water before consuming from Wednesday at 12 midnight (00.01 Thursday) until further notice: Waterford City, Tramore, Dunmore East, Passage East, Crooke, Faithlegg, Cheekpoint, Stradbally, Ballylaneen, Kill, Bonmahon, Kilmeaden/Butlerstown, Ballyduff and surrounding areas.

There may also be some disruption to water services, in particular, the speed at which bursts to the water network are repaired in all counties impacted by the strike action.

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.

Maps of the affected area's are below:

• East Waterford
• Kill Ballylaneen
• Stradbally

Uisce Eireann’s Tom Cuddy, Head of Operations for Uisce Éireann acknowledged the impact of this notice on the community.

“Our expectation was that the core activities of water services are regarded as essential services and should be exempt from industrial action. However, neither Uisce Éireann or the Local Authorities have been able to get clarity through the Unite Strike Committees, that they will continue to operate critical treatment plants or respond to emergencies. Unfortunately, Uisce Éireann has no choice but to put several Boil Water Notices in place to protect public health. The Boil Water Notices may run for several days as we will need time to assess the impacts on treatment plants and processes post-strike.”

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.

Updates are available on our Water Supply Updates section , on Twitter @IWCare and via our customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278.