Mayo island issued with Boil Water Notice after fault at treatment plant

UISCE Éireann has issued a Boil Water Notice for the water supply on Inishturk following an electrical fault during recent inclement weather.

The notice was issued by Uisce Éireann on Friday morning in order to protect the health of customers supplied by the Inishturk Public Water Supply and all homes and businesses on the island must boil their water before drinking.

The Boil Water Notice was issued following an electrical fault at the treatment plant after a power outage during the recent inclement weather.

Uisce Éireann issued a statement where they stated that their drinking water experts are working, in consultation with the HSE, to implement solutions to lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible. In the meantime, all customers on this supply are advised to boil and cool their water before use until further notice.

Uisce Eireann’s Colette Scahill acknowledged the impact of this notice on the community.

“Public health is Uisce Éireann’s number one priority and we would like to assure customers that the notice has been put in place to protect public health. We would like to assure customers that we are working to resolve the issue and lift the notice as quickly as possible,” she said.

The state water utility company stated that drinking water standards, as per EU Drinking Water regulations, are strict and include wide safety margins. They explained that where risks to water quality are identified through Uisce Éireann’s enhanced testing and monitoring programme, the HSE is consulted, and Boil Water Notices are issued to protect public health.

Uisce Éireann stated that in all instances immediate action is taken to address the cause of the issue to enable the lifting of the notice as quickly as it is safe to do so, in agreement with the HSE.

Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled but 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 and make ice from cooled boiled water.

Uisce Éireann has launched a free text service, providing real-time updates for local issues. Customers can sign up with their Eircode and mobile number at www.water.ie.