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Offaly Town Temporarily Without Water Following Boil Water Notice

Wednesday, 30 August 2023 13:52

Over 5,000 customers are affected by the notice.

Issues at a midlands water treatment plant have led to an interruption of water supply.

Householders and business premises in the Birr area were without water this afternoon as a consequence.

The supply has been restored but Uisce Eireann are warning that it may take two to three hours to fully resolve itself.

Uisce Éireann is advising households on the Birr Public Water Supply to boil their water before using it.

Over 5,000 customers are affected by the notice, which extends from the Lidl store to the North of Birr to the Airfield to the South and from Riverstown to the West and Clonoghill Lower to the East.

It was issued as a result of operational issues at the water treatment plant.

Customers can check if their property is included by visiting the Water Quality section of water.ie.

Uisce Eireann’s Jim Fitzgerald 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 lift the notice as quickly as possible."

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;

Preparing Infant Formula: Where a Boil Water Notice is in place, you can prepare infant formula from tap water that has been boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute) and cooled beforehand. Bottled water can also be used to make up infant formula. 

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.

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