URGENT - Do not consume Athlone water
Uisce Éireann has issued a temporary Do Not Consume Notice for the Athlone Public Water Supply.
The notice, which covers some 20,000 households is in place fom 5pm to 9pm tonight (Friday, April 19).
Uisce Éireann has stressed that this is not a boil water notice and said that water should not be consumed.
SEE MAP OF AREAS AFFECTED HERE
In a statement, it said it issued the notice following consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE) and Westmeath County Council, has issued a temporary Do Not Consume Notice for Athlone Public Water Supply.
The notice has been put in place following a technical fault at the water treatment plant which has resulted in water outages and a temporary elevation in fluoride levels. When the plant re-starts this evening there will be a short period where the water should not be consumed. Please note after 9pm the water will be safe to drink.
The statement said: "Please note this is not a Boil Water Notice. Boiling the water will not reduce fluoride levels and is therefore not a suitable measure to make the water safe to consume. It is especially important that mains drinking water is not given to bottle fed infants."
Uisce Éireann drinking water compliance and operational experts are working with colleagues in Westmeath County Council to resolve this situation as soon as possible.
Speaking about the imposition of the notice, Jim Fitzgerald Regional Operations Manager with Uisce Éireann said: “Uisce Éireann is aware of the impact a temporary Do Not Consume Notice has on the community and would like to reassure impacted customers that we are working 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.”
This water should not be used for
Drinking
Drinks made with water
Children under 12 months old should not drink this water
In particular, children under 12 months old should not drink this water. This water should not be used for making up infant formula for bottled fed infants. An alternative source of water should be used. 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.
Domestic water filters will not render water safe to drink
What can you use water for?
The water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing, flushing toilets, laundry and washing of utensils