East Cork boil water notice lifted; public warned of possible recurrence

A boil water notice in place in East Cork since October 2022 has been lifted this week, but the public has been warned that water quality may again deteriorate.

Uisce Éireann announced on Monday that the boil water notice in place for the Whitegate water supply area since 29 October 2022 has been lifted following consultation undertaken with the HSE.

“All consumers on the Whitegate regional public water supply can now resume normal use of the water supply for drinking, food preparation and brushing teeth,” the water utility company, which changed its name from Irish Water at the start of the year, said.

The October 2022 boil water notice was the second boil water notice in effect in the Whitegate supply area over the past year, and followed on the heels of a notice which was introduced in December 2021 and which ran until June 2022.

Uisce Éireann said the October 2022 notice was originally issued due to increased turbidity, or cloudiness, in the raw water source.

The company said it had worked with colleagues in Cork County Council to carry out the necessary works to enable the notice to be lifted as quickly as possible.

“There is however the possibility that the boil water notice may have to re-issued if the raw water quality deteriorates or there is a bad spell of adverse weather,” Uisce Éireann warned.

Pat Britton, Uisce Éireann operations lead, acknowledged the impact of the notice on the community, saying the company wished to thank the people of Whitegate and surrounding areas for their patience, co-operation and assistance during the period in which the boil water notice had remained in effect.

“Uisce Éireann is pursuing a permanent solution to address the frequent boil water notices that the people of East Cork have experienced over the last number of years,” he said.

“This involves a major upgrade of the water treatment plant. A contractor has been appointed to undertake the design and construction, land has been acquired and a planning application was submitted in January 2023.” Mr Britton said planning permission had been approved by Cork County Council in May, but following the statutory process, appeals have been lodged with An Bórd Pleanála.

“Uisce Éireann will continue to keep communities updated on the status of the project,” he said.

“The proposed works will include a new coagulation, flocculation and clarification system, a new filtration system and a new disinfection system. Significant upgrades will also be made to other aspects of the Kilva Water Treatment Plant site.” The Uisce Éireann customer contact centre (1800 278 278) is available to answer customer queries in relation to the lifting of this notice. Further information is available on www.water.ie.