Macroom boil water notice finally lifted

The Macroom boil water notice, issued at the end of September last year, has been lifted with immediate effect after consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The notice was issued by Uisce Éireann to protect the health of approximately 4,194 customers, following elevated turbidity and consequent operational issues at the Macroom Water Treatment Plant.

Reacting to the notice being lifted, Fianna Fáil Cork North West TD Aindrias Moynihan said: “It will be an ease to locals in Macroom and Canovee area who have endured the boil notice for so long.”

Mr Moynihan said he had been in contact with Uisce Éireann on the matter, adding: “It’s [the lifting of the notice] a step forward and I will be continuing to chase them on the much-needed new treatment plant.”

The water utility company said drinking water experts from Uisce Éireann worked to lift the notice “as quickly and as safely as possible”, confirming that, as a result of satisfactory water sampling results, the notice has now been lifted.

Uisce Éireann’s operations manager, Niall O’Riordan, acknowledged the impact of the persistent boil water notices on customers and thanked the community in the Macroom area 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,” he added.

Speaking to The Echo, Macroom-based Fine Gael councillor Ted Lucey said: “We had hoped it would have been lifted before Christmas in December, but that didn’t happen because they [Uisce Éireann] had more work to do after Christmas and early January.

“A new filter is after being put in there and that will sort out the boil water notice going forward.

“It just had a knock-on [effect] for everyone. It was something we could have done without. But it is over and done with now.”