Boil water notice for Cork area from midnight Thursday

A precautionary boil water notice comes into effect at midnight Thursday, affecting over 20,000 people on the outskirts of Cork city.

The precautionary boil notice, which has been announced by Uisce Éireann and Cork County Council, will come into effect from Thursday 3 August at midnight, affecting approximately 20,941people supplied by the Glashaboy Water Treatment Plant.

The water utility company, which changed its name earlier this year from Irish Water, said the notice was issued due to planned industrial action, arising from a dispute between the Unite trade union and eight local authorities.

Uisce Éireann said that members of the public served by the Glashaboy public water supply scheme were advised to boil their water before consuming from midnight on Thursday until further notice.

The Glashaboy scheme covers parts of Glanmire, Glounthaune, Little Island, Carrigtwohill and surrounding areas.

The company warned that the boil water notice may run for several days as it would need time to assess the impacts on the treatment plant and processes post-strike.

“There may also be some disruption to water services, in particular, the speed at which bursts to the water network are repaired,” Uisce Éireann said.

Members of the public can check whether their area is affected by visiting the Water Quality section of www.water.ie and entering their Eircode or by calling the Uisce Éireann’s customer care helpline, which is open 24/7, on 1800 278 278.

Uisce Eireann’s head of water operations, Margaret Attridge acknowledged the impact of this notice on the community, but said it was put in place to protect public health.

“It is essential that customers follow this advice and boil their water,” she said.

Vulnerable people who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communication on Boil Water Notices. The public is advised by Uisce Éireann 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.