Irish Water has issued a boil water notice for customers in the New Quay and Bellharbour areas of North Clare.
The warning, issued following HSE advice, comes after a low level of cryptosporidium was discovered.
It applies to all customers served by the Turlough Public Water Scheme and the Aughinish and Turlough public group water schemes in North Clare.
Information is to be distributed the households concerned, and all users are being advised to boil water before use.
The following press release has been issued in respect of this story:
Irish Water, acting on the advice of the Health Service Executive (HSE) and as a precautionary measure pending further investigation, has today (Tuesday, 05 July 2016) issued a boil water notice to all customers served by the Turlough Public Water Scheme and the Aughinish and Turlough public group water schemes in North Clare.
Irish Water issued the precautionary notice after routine tests revealed a low level of Cryptosporidium in the water supplies serving customers in the New Quay and Bellharbour areas.
In the interest of public health, Irish Water is recommending that that all users should boil water before use.
Leaflets relating to the precautionary boil notice will be distributed to affected customers today.
Updates will be issued on www.water.ie and further information is available from Irish Water Customer Contact Centre: 1890 278 278.
• 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.
• 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.
• Discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges. Make ice from cooled boiled water.
• Use water prepared for drinking when preparing foods that will not be cooked (e.g. washing salads).
• Prepare infant feeds with tap 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.
• Anyone suffering from diarrhoea for more than two days should contact their general practitioner and provide a stool sample for testing. They should continue to drink plenty of boiled or bottled water.
