Boil water notice issued for Mayo island's public supply
Following consultation with the Health Service Executive, Uisce Éireann has issued a boil water notice to protect the health of customers supplied by the Inishturk public water supply.
This follows an electrical fault at the treatment plant after a power outage during the recent inclement weather.
All homes and businesses on the island must boil their water before drinking.
Drinking water experts from Uisce Éireann are working, in consultation with the HSE, to implement solutions to lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible. In the meantime, all customers on this supply are advised to boil and cool their water before use until further notice.
Uisce Eireann’s Colette Scahill acknowledged the impact of this notice on the community: “Public health is Uisce Éireann’s number one priority and we would like to assure customers that the notice has been put in place to protect public health. We would like to assure customers that we are working to resolve the issue and lift the notice as quickly as possible.”
Uisce Éireann’s drinking water standards, as per EU Drinking Water regulations, are strict and include wide safety margins. Where risks to water quality are identified through Uisce Éireann’s enhanced testing and monitoring programme, the HSE is consulted and boil water notices are issued to protect public health.
In all instances, immediate action is taken to address the cause of the issue to enable the lifting of the notice as quickly as it safe to do so, in agreement with the HSE.
Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communication on boil water notices. Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled.
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, and make ice from cooled boiled water).
Uisce Éireann customers can find out more from the website, X/Twitter channels, Facebook and LinkedIn, and through the customer care helpline, which is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278.