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Boil Water Notice issued for Clare Island Public Water Supply remains in place to protect the health of customers

Date: 02-07-2021

Irish Water and Mayo County Council would like to remind customers supplied by Clare Island Public Water Supply that the Boil Water Notice issued on 18 June remains in place until further notice.

Following consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE), Irish Water and Mayo County Council issued a Boil Water Notice as a precaution to protect approximately 165 customers following the detection of cryptosporidium during sampling of the supply. The Boil Water Notice remains in place pending the completion of further planned works and receipt of satisfactory monitoring results.

Cryptosporidium is a tiny parasite found in human and animal waste. If it is swallowed (ingested), it can cause a disease called cryptosporidiosis. The symptoms of cryptosporidiosis include fever, stomach upset, weight loss and diarrhoea. Cryptosporidium may be found in water if it has been contaminated or if there has been a problem with water treatment.

Irish Water and Mayo County Council are carrying out an assessment on the scope of upgrade works required to be undertaken at the existing water treatment plant on Clare Island in order to lift the Boil Water Notice as quickly as possible. Upon completion of these works, a sampling programme will be agreed in consultation with the HSE.

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

Ger Greally, Irish Water’s Operations Lead for Mayo said, “We fully appreciate the difficulty and inconvenience that a Boil Water Notice causes in the community. We wish to thank the community for their ongoing patience and we would like to assure people that we are working to resolve the issue and restore a normal water supply as quickly as possible. Our priority is the provision of safe, clean drinking water and safeguarding that water supply for the future is a vital focus."

Vulnerable customers who have concerns can contact our customer care team on 1800 278 278. Updates will be available on our Water Supply Updates section on water.ie, on Twitter @IWCare. Further information in relation to the boil water notice is available from https://www.water.ie/water-supply/water-quality/boil-water-notice/

Irish Water 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. Irish Water would like to remind people to follow the HSE COVID-19 advice and ensure frequent handwashing.

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.




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