Irish Water issue Boil Water Notice in Tipperary affecting over 15,000 people

In consultation with the HSE, Irish Water and Tipperary County Council have issued a boil water notice for the Galtee Regional Public Supply with immediate effect. 

Approximately 15,800 customers are expected to be affected in the following areas. 

• Emly 
• Lattin
• Ballinard
• Cullen 
• Ballywire
• Kilross
• Limerick Junction
•  Monard
• Lisvarnane 
• Rosadrehid
• Bansha
• Tankerstown
• Kilfeacle
• Golden
• Cashel
• Rosegreen
• New Inn 
• The surrounding areas

The notice is in place because of elevated turbidity in the water.

Irish Water's Colin Cunningham has acknowledges the impact of the notice and apologises for the inconvenience to customers: 

“We are working closely with Tipperary County Council to restore drinking water quality for all impacted customers. We will monitor the supply over the coming days and will seek to lift the notice in consultation with the HSE as quickly as it is safe to do so,” said Mr Cunningham. 

Irish Water says water must be boiled for:

• Drinking
• Drinks made with water
• Preparation of salads and similar foods which are not cooked 
• Brushing of teeth
• Making of ice - discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges. Make ice from cooled boiled water.

They say water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing and flushing of toilets but not for brushing teeth or gargling. 

Irish Water has issued the following instructions for preparing the water: 

• Boil water by bringing it to a vigorous, rolling boil (e.g. with an automatic kettle) and allow it 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 to prepare 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. 

Vulnerable customers registered with Irish Water will be contacted directly. 

Customers who wish to check if their property is on the Boil Water Notice themselves can do so at  https://www.water.ie/help/water-quality/results/ using their Eircode.