Do Not Consume notice for Moynalty water supply lifted with immediate affect

Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Meath County Council, advises that the Do Not Consume and Do Not Wash Notice for customers supplied by Moynalty Public Water Supply, Co Meath remains in place. Following consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Do Not Consume Notice was issued yesterday, Sunday 20 June, as a precaution to protect the 191 customers on the supply following elevated levels of chlorine. A copy of the advisory notice was hand delivered to all impacted customers on Sunday 20 June.

Uisce Éireann's primary focus continues to be the protection of public health. The issue at the water treatment plant that led to the elevated levels of chlorine in the supply has now been resolved. However, the notice will remain in place until we can verify that chlorine levels have returned to normal throughout the network.

While we continue to monitor the network we would like to remind customers that the water is not safe for consumption, the preparation of foods, washing, washing of utensils or use in washing machines and dishwashers. It is especially important that mains drinking water is not given to bottle fed infants.

Customers are advised to draw down water from the attic storage tank. Customers can do this by flushing toilets or running bathroom taps intermittently and as the tank refills it will be replenished with fresh mains water with normal chlorine levels. Customers in the affected area are being advised to not use tap water until further notice except for flushing toilets and flushing of internal house plumbing.

Speaking about the imposition of the notice, John O'Donoghue, Regional Operations Manager with Uisce Éireann said "Uisce Éireann is aware of the impact a Do Not Consume and Do Not Wash Notice is having on the community of Moynalty and would like to reassure impacted customers that Uisce Éireann's drinking water compliance and operational experts are working hard to lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible.  We would ask customers who have concerns to contact our customer care team on 1800 278 278."

An alternative water supply is in place to support impacted customers at the junction of Main Street and the R164 (beside the church). Map coordinates are 53.789113, -6.886308. Customers are reminded to follow the HSE guidance on social distancing, face coverings and hand hygiene when collecting water. Customers are advised to boil water before use.

Bottled water is available for delivery to customers who are registered as vulnerable on this supply. Vulnerable customers who haven't registered with Uisce Éireann or those who have concerns about leaving their homes during the current pandemic should contact our customer care team, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278.

Please note this is not a Boil Water Notice. Boiling the water will not reduce chlorine levels and is therefore not a suitable measure to make the water safe to consume. This notice does not apply to other areas or water schemes in Co Meath.

Public Health Advice:

The HSE advises that the water from the supply is unsafe to:

• Consume for drinking;
• Use in connection with food preparation; and
• Use for personal hygiene, including brushing teeth and bathing. 

All prepared drinks, foods, ice cubes and baby food which contains drinking water collected after 8:00am on Sunday 20 June 2021 should be discarded.

In the interest of Public Health, it is advised that all users (i.e. domestic and commercial) on the affected scheme should NOT use tap water until further notice, EXCEPT for:

• Flushing of toilets; and
• Flushing of internal house plumbing systems. 

Customers must not drink the water or wash in the water until further notice, however we are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

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

Uisce Éireann continues to work at this time with our Local Authority partners, contractors and others to safeguard the health and well-being of both staff and the public and to ensure the continuity of critical drinking water and wastewater services.

Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Meath County Council wish to advise that following consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE), Uisce Éireann is imposing a DO NOT CONSUME NOTICE for all consumers on the Moynalty Public Water Supply in County Meath with immediate effect due to increased chlorine levels in the water supply.

This decision was agreed following consultation with the Health Service Executive to protect the health of consumers.

This notice applies to all consumers supplied by the Moynalty Public Water Supply. An alternative water supply is available at the junction of Main Street and the R164 (beside the church). The water should be boiled before consumption.

IMPORTANT: This is not a Boil Water Notice, i.e. boiling and cooling your water will not make it safe to drink.

All consumers affected by this notice must not drink their water.

A map of the Moynalty Public Water Supply, detailing the areas is below.

Areas Affected:

All customers supplied by the Moynalty Public Water Supply.
The HSE advises that the water from the supply is unsafe to:
• Consume for drinking;
• Use in connection with food preparation; and
• Use for personal hygiene, including brushing teeth and bathing.
All prepared drinks, foods, ice cubes and baby food which contains drinking water collected after 08:00 on
Sunday 20th June 2021 should be discarded.
In the interest of Public Health, it is advised that all users (i.e. domestic and commercial) on the affected
scheme should NOT use tap water until further notice, EXCEPT for:
• Flushing of toilets; and
• Flushing of internal house plumbing systems.
Customers must not drink the water or wash in the water until further notice, however we are
working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
Customers are advised to draw down water from attic/storage tanks. Customers should flush toilets or
run bathroom taps intermittently, and as tanks re-fill, chlorine levels in these storage tank should return
to normal.
1: Caution:
• 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
• Discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges.
• If you have pets and are concerned about the impact of providing mains water while this Do Not
Consume Notice is in place, you should ask your local vet for advice
2: Only use Prepared/ Bottled Water for the following situations.
• When preparing foods that will not be cooked (e.g. washing and preparing salads)
• Preparing Infant Formula. Where a Do Not Consume Notice is in place, you can prepare infant
formula from bottled water. All bottled water, with the exception of natural mineral water, is regulated
to the same standard as drinking water. It is best not to use bottled water labelled as 'Natural
Mineral Water' as it can have high levels of sodium (salt) and other minerals, although it rarely does.
'Natural Mineral Water' can be used if no other water is available, for as short a time as possible, as
it is important to keep babies hydrated. If bottled water is used to make up infant formula it should
be boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute), and cooled in the normal way. Ready-to-use formula that
does not need added water can also be used.
3: Always Take Care:
If you are boiling bottled water to prepare infant formula, care should be taken with boiled water to avoid
burns and scalds. Accidents can easily happen, especially with children.
4: How long before the Do Not Consume notice can be lifted?
We do not know at present, but Uisce Éireann will continue to liaise and consult with the Health Service
Executive with a view to lifting the Do Not Consume Notice as soon as practicable
5: How will we keep you informed?
You will be kept informed through the following media:
Website: www.water.ie
Uisce Éireann Customer Contact Centre: 1800 278 278
Please also tune in to Local Radio Stations or other local media for updates
Vulnerable customers who have registered their details with IW will be directly contacted, but if you require additional assistance please contact Uisce Éireann to discuss them with us.

Remember - do not drink your water, as advised, until further notice