Are you affected?

Corkonians who get their water from the Whitegate Regional Public Water Supply will need to boil their water until further notice, Irish Water has warned.

The agency issued a boil notice yesterday following a few days of heavy rainfall, which caused issues at the water treatment plant. Irish Water has noted that the notice is “precautionary,” amid fears that the heavy rain has compromised the disinfection process and made the water unsafe to drink.

The notice affects homes in Whitegate, Aghada, Churchtown, Ballycotton, Saleen, Shanagarry, Ballinacura and areas of Cloyne. If you are unsure whether or not your water is affected, you are encouraged to contact Irish water.

Irish Water’s Pat Britton said: “Public health is Irish Water’s number one priority and we appreciate the impact that this notice will have on the community in East Cork.

“However, the restriction has been put in place as a precaution in order to protect our consumers. Irish Water and Cork County Council are working tirelessly to resolve the issues affecting the plant and to lift the boil water notice as early as it safe to do so.”

Irish Water advises that water be boiled for the purposes of:

• 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.

Advice is also provided as to the process of safely boiling water.

• 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;
• Prepare infant feeds with water that has been brought to the boil once and cooled. Do not use water that has been re-boiled several times. If bottled water is used for the preparation of infant feeds it should be boiled once and cooled. If you are using bottled water for preparing baby food, be aware that some natural mineral water may have high sodium content. The legal limit for sodium in drinking water is 200mg per litre. Check the label on the bottled water to make sure the sodium or `Na’ is not greater than 200mg per litre. If it is, then it is advisable to use a different type of bottled water. If no other water is available, then use this water for as short a time as possible. It is important to keep babies hydrated.
• Great care should be taken with boiled water to avoid burns and scalds as accidents can easily happen, especially with children.