Boil Water Notices remain in place for Wexford town and Gorey

Uisce Éireann and Wexford County Council would like to remind customers supplied by the Wexford Town and Gorey Public Water Supplies, that the Boil Water Notices on these supplies remain in place until further notice.

Works are being carried as a matter of priority at both plants to enable to lifting of the Boil Water Notices as soon as it is safe to do so.

In Gorey maintenance work was carried out on the filtration system at the Creagh Water Treatment Plant during the week. Following this, further testing and monitoring of the performance of the plant is underway and a further assessment of the Boil Water Notice will be made next week. 

Uisce Éireann has invested €100,000 at the Creagh Water Treatment Plant since August 2021 on a range of capital works and is also pleased to announce that we have received approval in principle, subject to specifications and costings, to acquire an additional UV treatment system to provide further resilience to the water treatment plant. The treatment plant's long-term solution is also being explored and risk analysis has been carried out on the supply and the current treatment process. This is the starting point for developing the long-term solution for the treatment plant at Creagh.

In the Wexford town supply, flushing of the network is continuing. This has been limited by low water levels in the reservoir but levels are now recovering and Uisce Éireann operations and compliance teams will review the water quality test results early next week with a view to lifting the Boil Water Notice as quickly as possible.

Jim Fitzgerald, Regional Operations Manager with Uisce Éireann, said: "We are continuing to monitor the performance of both the Gorey and Wexford plants with a view to lifting these Boil Water Notices as soon as it is safe to do so.

"While these notices are essential measures in order to protect public health, we understand the inconvenience and disruption they cause. We would like to thank the people of Wexford and Gorey for their patience and assure them that we are working as a matter of priority with our partners in Wexford County Council to address these issues.

"If any customer has a query or concern about their Boil Water Notices, please contact the Uisce Éireann customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278."
For customers who wish to check if their property is on the Boil Water Notice themselves, please go to the following link on the Uisce Éireann website: https://www.water.ie/help/water-quality/results/ enter the property's Eircode and then click the 'More Details' tab. You will then see if your property is on the Boil Water Notice.

In line with HSE COVID-19 advice and the requirement for frequent hand washing, Uisce Éireann advises that the water remains suitable for this purpose and boiling the water is not required.

Vulnerable customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled.

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.

Uisce Éireann is responsible for the delivery of all public water and wastewater services in Ireland. We are committed to continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support the growth needed in housing and across our economy, while protecting the environment and safeguarding water supplies.