Cllr. David Dunne critical of Irish Water following Carrick boil water notice

Stock photo © Kuzmik_A via canva.com

A boil water notice affecting 4,000 people in Carrick-on-Suir remains in place.

It was put in place earlier this week, after heavy rainfall led to the detection of cryptosporidium in the water.

Local Councillor David Dunne has now criticised the communication from Irish Water.

“I have to complain about Irish Water, their communication left a lot to be desired, not everybody’s on social media and a lot of people I know of, only for Tipp FM, they wouldn’t have known about the boil water notice.

“Some people didn’t even turn on the radio when they got up and might have had a cup of tea or a drink of water and didn’t hear the notice until they turned on the radio.

“The communication from Irish Water leaves a lot to be desired and now that this is draggin on, we still have no communication about when this will be lifted.”

Cllr Dunne has also called for a water tanker to be provided so that people have access to water near their homes.

Vulnerable customers who have concerns can contact Irish Water’s customer care team 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 Irish Water website: https://www.water.ie/?map=supply-and-service-updates, 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 Water Supply Updates section on water.ie including a map of the affected area, on Twitter @IWCare and via the 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 in relation to the boil water notice is available from https://www.water.ie/water-supply/water-quality/boil-water-notice/.