Boil Water Notice lifted for Wexford Town Public Water Supply

The Boil Water Notice issued for Wexford Town Public Water Supply remains in place and has also been extended to include the Taghmon area. An updated map of the area impacted is attached. Taghoman has been added to the notice due to necessary network changes that will ensure a continued water supply to the area. 

Uisce Éireann and Wexford County Council are continuing to assess the situation with a view to having the notice lifted as quickly as possible. In the meantime, all customers in Wexford Town and Taghmon are advised to boil water before use until further notice.

For customers who wish to check if their property is on the Boil Water Notice, please go to the Water Quality section of our website and enter the property's Eircode. Customers can also call our customer care helpline on 1800 278 278.

Ronan Walsh, Water Operations Lead for Uisce Éireann said: "Our number one priority is public health and the safety and well-being of our customers. Following an issue at the treatment plant last night,  there continues to be high turbidity - or cloudiness - in the water source supplying the area meaning the disinfection of the water may be compromised. Therefore it is important that all customers continue to boil the water before use.

"We will continue to work closely with Wexford County Council and the HSE to monitor the supply and lift the notice as quickly as it is safe to do so. An update will be issued as soon as we have any developments but we can expect the Boil Water Notice to remain in place until next week at least. We understand and apologies for the inconvenience this notice is having and thank you for your patience and cooperation."  

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;
• 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.

Updates will be available on the Supply and Service Updates section of our website including a map of the affected area, on Twitter @IWCare and via our customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278. 

Customers are advised to set their location on water.ie to view updates specific to their water supply. Further information is available on the Boil Water Notice section of our website.

Uisce Éireann and Wexford County Council would like to remind customers supplied by the Wexford Town Public Water Supply, that the boil water notice issued on Friday due to high turbidity remains in place. 

Experts from Uisce Éireann and Wexford County Council are continuing to assess the situation with a view to having the notice lifted as quickly as possible. In the meantime, all customers of this supply are advised to boil water before use until further notice.

Ronan Walsh, Water Operations Lead for Uisce Éireann said: "Our number one priority is public health and the safety and well-being of our customers. Whilst we are seeing a reduction of turbidity, the reservoirs are taking longer than expected to reach a satisfactory level, which is important to ensure reliability of supply. 

"We will continue to work closely with Wexford County Council and the HSE to monitor the supply and lift the notice as quickly as it is safe to do so. An update will be issued as soon as we have any developments" he added.

Vulnerable customers who have concerns can contact our customer care team on 1800 278 278.

For customers who wish to check if their property is on the Boil Water Notice themselves, please visit the Water Quaity section of our website, enter the property's Eircode and you will then see if your property is on the Boil Water Notice.

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;
• 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.

Updates will be available on the Supply and Service Updates section of our website including a map of the affected area, on Twitter @IWCare and via our customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278. 

Customers are advised to set their location on water.ie to view updates specific to their water supply. Further information is available on the Boil Water Notice section of our website.

Following consultation with the Health Service Executive, Uisce Éireann and Wexford County Council have issued a Boil Water Notice for the area supplied by the Wexford Town Public Water Supply to protect approximately 20,000 people due to high turbidity. The areas affected include all customers supplied by Wexford Town Public Water Supply. Turbidity is a measure of cloudiness in the water and is elevated following a period of heavy rain. 

Experts from Uisce Éireann and Wexford County Council are assessing the situation with a view to having the notice lifted as quickly as possible. In the meantime, all customers of this supply are advised to boil water before use until further notice.

Ronan Walsh, Uisce Éireann, has acknowledged the impact this notice will have on the community and apologised for the inconvenience to customers: "Our number one priority is public health and the safety and well-being of our customers. We would like to thank the public, media and elected representatives in advance for sharing the news of the Boil Water Notice as it is essential that we reach as many people as possible. We will continue to work closely with Wexford County Council and the HSE to monitor the supply and lift the notice as quickly as it is safe to do so." he added.

Alternative water supplies in the form of bulk tankers are in place at the following locations:

• Radharc Na Mara, Coolcotts Lane
• Wygram Nursing Home , Wexford Town
• Richmond Drive, Wexford Town
• Farnogue Residential Healthcare Unit, Wexford Town
• Barntown Community Centre, Barntown
• Knockeen Nusing Home, Barntown

The tankers may be offsite for short periods if refilling is required during the day. Customers are reminded to use their own containers when taking water from the tankers and to boil and cool the water before consumption as a precautionary measure. Customers should follow HSE and government COVID-19 advice in relation to social distancing and mask wearing when collecting water from tankers.

Vulnerable customers who have concerns can contact our customer care team on 1800 278 278.

For customers who wish to check if their property is on the Boil Water Notice themselves, please visit the Water Quaity section of our website, enter the property's Eircode and you will then see if your property is on the Boil Water Notice.

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;
• 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.

Updates will be available on the Supply and Service Updates section of our website including a map of the affected area, on Twitter @IWCare and via our customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278. 

Customers are advised to set their location on water.ie to view updates specific to their water supply. Further information is available on the Boil Water Notice section of our website.