Ballyheigue Do Not Consume Notice: Updates

Uisce Éireann understands the disruption and concern this issue is causing for customers in Ballyheigue and wants to assure the community that extensive work is continuing to investigate and resolve it.

This is a complex investigation and teams from across Uisce Éireann, supported by specialist expertise, are working on it and we will continue to provide updates as further information becomes available.

Alternative Water Supplies

In addition to the existing alternative water supplies available, in the form of bulk water tankers, at the five locations listed below, two pallets of bottled water will be delivered to each site today (20 October), arriving between 12.30pm and 1pm.

• Causeway Church car park 
• Kilmoyley Church car park  
• Ballyheigue beach car park 
• Ballyheigue old graveyard
• Cantillon’s Cross Kerry Head  

Customers are asked to bring their own containers when collecting water from the tankers and advised that this water should be boiled before drinking, in line with HSE advice.

Supplies will continue to be monitored and replenished. Please check this page regularly as locations and arrangements may be updated.  

Boiling the water will not make it safe to drink, and it is particularly important that water from the tap is not given to bottle-fed babies.

This water should not be used for: 

• Drinking
• Preparing drinks with water
• Food preparation, washing food or cooking food
• Brushing of teeth
• Making of ice
• 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 one 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 make the water safe to drink
• Caution should be taken when bathing infants to ensure that they do not swallow the bathing water
• Discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges

What can you use water for?

• The water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing, flushing toilets, laundry and washing of utensils.

Uisce Éireann understands the disruption and concern this issue is causing for customers in Ballyheigue and wants to assure the community that extensive work is continuing to investigate and resolve it.

This is a complex investigation and teams from across Uisce Éireann, supported by specialist expertise, are working on it and we will continue to provide updates as further information becomes available.

In the meantime, customers are encouraged to follow the advice currently in place and to sign up for free text alerts via our website to receive updates directly.

Our customer care team is also available 24/7 on 1800 278 278. 

This water should not be used for: 

• Drinking  
• Preparing drinks with water  
• Food preparation, washing food or cooking food
• Brushing of teeth  
• Making of ice  
• 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 one 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 make the water safe to drink  
• Caution should be taken when bathing infants to ensure that they do not swallow the bathing water  
• Discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges  

What can you use water for?

• The water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing, flushing toilets, laundry and washing of utensils

 Uisce Éireann is reminding all 3,527 customers on the Ballyheigue Public Water Supply that the Do Not Consume Notice issued on Wednesday, 07 October remains in place. Customers served by the Ballyheigue Public Water Supply should not use their tap water for drinking, preparing food, cooking or brushing their teeth. The western catchment area of the Clanmaurice Group Water Scheme is also included in the Do Not Consume Notice. This includes the townlands of Kerry Head, Ballyongane, Boolenshare, Cleandries, Cloghaneleesh, Dromnacara, Ballinclemesig and Rathmorre. Uisce Éireann continues to carry out extensive testing and monitoring of the raw water source as investigations into suspected saltwater ingress remain ongoing.

Eoin O’Connell, Operations Manager, Uisce Éireann, said: “We are working around the clock to address this issue. We know how important a safe and reliable water supply is to everyday life and fully appreciate the concern and inconvenience this is causing for customers, families, businesses and community groups across the area. Protecting public health is always our top priority and we are working closely with the HSE to address the issue and restore a safe drinking water supply as quickly as possible. While issuing a Do Not Consume Notice is always a last resort, taking prompt action to protect public health is our responsibility.”

 Boiling the water will not make it safe to drink, and it is particularly important that water from the tap is not given to bottle-fed babies.

Customers can check if their property is affected by visiting the Water Quality section of water.ie and entering their Eircode or by contacting Uisce Éireann's customer care team, available 24/7, on 1800 278 278. A map of the affected area is also attached.   

To continue to help support customers while the DNC is in place, an alternative water supply remains in place at the following locations:  
•    Causeway Church car park 
•    Kilmoyley Church car park  
•    Ballyheigue beach car park 
•    Ballyheigue old graveyard  
•    Cantillon’s Cross Kerry Head  

Tankers will be replenished routinely while the notice remains in place. Customers are asked to bring their own containers when collecting water from the tanker. Water from the alternative supply should be boiled before drinking, in line with HSE advice.   
 
Vulnerable Customer Registration Process
 At this time, we are asking customers who may be vulnerable, or anyone supporting a vulnerable friend or family member, to register with us so that we can communicate directly about medical or specific needs. The quickest way to register is to call us on 1800 278 278. 
Other registration options, such as online registration, are also available. However, to activate the registration and expedite our engagement, calling us is currently the best approach. Additional staff are working in the call centre currently to ensure calls are answered promptly and registrations are completed. Please find details of who is deemed vulnerable on our dedicated page on water.ie 

Uisce Éireann's drinking water standards are among the strictest in Europe and include significant safety margins. Where potential risks to public health are identified through Uisce Éireann's testing and monitoring programme, the HSE is consulted and precautionary notices may be issued to protect customers.
 
This water should not be used for: 

• Drinking  
• Preparing drinks with water  
• Food preparation, washing food or cooking food
• Brushing of teeth  
• Making of ice  
• In particular, childrenunder 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 ofnatural 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 havehigh levelsof 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 one 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 make the water safe to drink  
• Caution should be taken when bathing infants to ensure that they do not swallow the bathing water  
• Discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges  

What can you use water for?   

• The water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing, flushing toilets, laundry and washing of utensils  

Customers supplied by the Ballyheigue Public Water Supply in Co Kerry are being advised not to consume their tap water until further notice. The notice has been issued following the detection of an issue affecting the raw water source. We have taken this measure to protect public health while our teams undertake emergency works to address the problem and restore a safe water supply.

All customers served by the Ballyheigue Public Water Supply should not use their tap water for drinking, preparing food, cooking, or brushing teeth. The Western catchment regions of the Clanmaurice Group Water Scheme, which serves the townlands of Kerry Head, Ballyongane, Boolenshare,Cleandries, Cloghaneleesh, Dromnacara, Ballinclemesig and Rathmorrel is also included in the Do Not Consume Notice.

Boiling the water will not make it safe to drink, and it is particularly important that water from the tap is not given to bottle-fed babies.  

Our team at Uisce Éireann understands this will be concerning and disruptive for households, schools and businesses in the area. Everyone relies on having safe drinking water in their homes and workplaces and we want to reassure the community that protecting public health is our absolute priority.  While issuing a Do Not Consume Notice is always a last resort, taking prompt action to protect public health is our responsibility. Working closely with the HSE and other stakeholders, we are taking every necessary step to identify the cause of the issue and restore a safe drinking water supply as quickly as possible.  

Customers can check if their property is affected by visiting the Water Quality section of water.ie and entering their Eircode or by contacting Uisce Éireann's customer care team, available 24/7, on 1800 278 278. A map of the affected area is also available on the Supply and Service section of water.ie.  Vulnerable customers who are registered with Uisce Éireann will be contacted directly.

To help support customers while the notice is in place, an alternative water supply will be available in the following locations from 9pm tonight. 

• Causeway Church car park
• Kilmoyley Church car park 
• Ballyheigue beach car park
• Ballyheigue old graveyard 
• Cantillon’s Cross Kerry Head

Customers are asked to bring their own containers when collecting water from the tanker. Water from the alternative supply should be boiled before drinking, in line with HSE advice.  

Eoin O’Connell of Uisce Éireann said the team appreciates that the situation is disruptive and has thanked the community for its patience. “Protecting public health is always our top priority. We want to stress that, unlike a Boil Water Notice, boiling the water will not make it safe to consume. We appreciate the support of the community in following the advice issued while our teams work to resolve the issue as quickly and safely as possible,” said Eoin.

 Uisce Éireann's drinking water standards are among the strictest in Europe and include significant safety margins. Where potential risks to public health are identified through Uisce Éireann's testing and monitoring programme, the HSE is consulted and precautionary notices may be issued to protect customers.  

This water should not be used for: 

• Drinking
• Preparing drinks with water
• Food preparation, washing food or cooking food
• Brushing of teeth
• Making of ice
• 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 one 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 make the water safe to drink
• Caution should be taken when bathing infants to ensure that they do not swallow the bathing water
• Discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges

What can you use water for?

• The water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing, flushing toilets, laundry and washing of utensils