More than 11,000 Tipperary customers issued indefinite boil water notice
A precautionary boil water notice has been imposed on more than 11,000 Tipperary customers due to deterioration of water quality.
Customers supplied by the Ardfinnan Public Water Supply will have to boil their water before use, Uisce Éireann have said.
The boil water notice has been issued due to a deterioration in the raw water quality entering the Goatenbridge Water Treatment Plant which supplies the Ardfinnan Regional Water Supply, as well as operational issues at the plant.
Customers in Ardfinnan and surrounding areas such as Grange, Knocklofty, Newcastle, Ballyclerihan, Cahir (Clonmel side of the bridge, Tipperary Road and Mitchelstown Road), Ballingarrane (as far as the Cahir road roundabout Clonmel), Market Hill and Red City area (Fethard) are being urged to boil their water before use.
Kilnamack West in Waterford and the Graigue Group Water scheme supplied by Ardfinnan PWS are also affected, Uisce Éireann have said.
Uisce Éireann’s Pierce Faherty said that the utility recognises the inconvenience of a boil water notice, but that it was vital to protect public health.
"We acknowledge the inconvenience of a boil water notice on the local community and would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused. We would like to assure those impacted that our crews are working as quickly and efficiently as possible to lift the notice,” he said.
"The notice is necessary as recent high levels of rainfall have caused a deterioration in the raw water entering the treatment process. Separately, the Water Treatment Plant is also undergoing extensive upgrades, leading to difficulties in maintaining normal operations at the plant,” Mr Faherty added.
While the boil water notice is in place, impacted customers must boil water for drinking, drinks made with water; preparation of salads and similar foods, which are not cooked prior to eating, brushing of teeth; and making of ice - discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges.
Uisce Éireann said that they do not know when the notice will be lifted, but crews are working to lift the notice as soon as possible.