A Boil Water Notice remains in place on the Lettermacaward Public Water Supply.
Around 2,200 households on the supply are affected.
Irish Water are reminding people served by the Lettermacaward Public Water Supply that a Boil Water Notice remains in place.
The notice, arising out of operational difficulties at the Lettermacaward Water Treatment Plant, is in place to protect the health of approximately 2,200 customers in the Lettermacaward, Portnoo, Rossbeg, Cleangort, Doochary, Meenacross, Dooey, Glenties Road, Maghery and Falmore areas.
Following consultation with the HSE, the utility and Donegal County Council issued the Boil Water Notice on Friday, August 12th.
Work is continuing to resolve the issue in a bid to have the notice lifted as quickly as possible.
In the meantime, all customers are advised to boil water before use
Seamus O’Brien, Irish Water’s Asset Operations Lead, has acknowledged the impact the Boil Water Notice is having on the community and apologised for the inconvenience to customers.
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.
