Irish Water issue Boil Water Notice for areas in mid-Louth

Irish Water have just issued a statement regarding a Boil Water Notice issued for Tallanstown and surrounding areas:

Following advice from the Health Service Executive, Irish Water and Louth County Council have issued a Boil Water Notice for the area supplied by the Tallanstown Public Water Supply. The Boil Water Notice affects approximately 2,000 people served by the Tallanstown PWS.

The Boil Water Notice has been put in place as a precautionary measure following the results of drinking water quality tests.

Irish Water drinking water compliance and operational experts are working with colleagues in Louth County Council to resolve this situation as soon as possible.

In the meantime, all customers of this supply are advised to boil water before use until further notice.

The areas affected include Tallanstown, Louth Village, Knockbridge, Carnalogue, Mills of Louth, Knockdillon and surrounding areas.

Irish Water acknowledges the impact and inconvenience caused by the imposition of a Boil Water Notice to homes and businesses. We wish to thank the community for their patience and cooperation while we work to resolve this issue. Irish Water’s priority is the provision of safe, clean drinking water and safeguarding that water supply for the future is a vital focus.

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.

Additional information and advice is available at Boil Water Notices or by calling Irish Water’s 24-hour customer care line at 1850 278 278. Updates are available at Water Supply Updates