Boil Water Notice on Glenary Water Treatment Plant lifted
The Boil Water Notice on the Glenary Water Treatment Plant has been lifted with immediate effect. Uisce Éireann can confirm that, following consultation with the Health Service Executive, customers on this supply can now resume normal use of their water supply. This follows remedial works with consistent satisfactory sampling results.
The Boil Water Notice was issued on 23 October to protect the health of approximately 11,000 customers due to issues at the plant, while subsequent water quality testing showed the presence of Giardia in the water supply.
The Glenary Water Treatment Plant faced extensive operational issues, as well as a raw water source that is vulnerable to changing weather conditions and is also undergoing significant upgrade works. These upgrade works are continuing and when complete will address ongoing operational issues that result in interruptions to the water supply while also enhancing the security and resilience of supply for homes and businesses in Clonmel.
Uisce Éireann’s Fionnuala Callery acknowledged the impact of the notice on the community, “Uisce Éireann regrets the inconvenience that the Boil Water Notice had on the customers of the Glenary Water Treatment Plant. I would like to thank them for their patience and support while our drinking water experts worked to lift it as quickly as it was safe to do so.”
Separately works to enable the lifting of the separate Boil Water Notices in place for the Ardfinnan Regional Supply Scheme as well as the Fethard Regional Public Water Supply are currently progressing well.
The Boil Water Notice for the Ardfinnan Regional Supply Scheme was put in place on 4 September due to high turbidity as well as the presence of cryptosporidium in the raw water source, while the boil water notice on the Fethard Regional Public Water Supply was issued on 18 December due to a deterioration in raw water quality entering the plant which affected the treatment process.
Uisce Éireann acknowledge the impact this has had on homes and businesses in the area and would like to assure of both supplies that works to lift the notices are at an advanced stage.
Public health remains Uisce Éireann number one priority, and we will continue to monitor the supplies and will seek to lift the notices as soon as it is safe to do so.
Customers on each of the supplies are advised to continue to boil their water before use until further notice.
The Uisce Éireann Customer Contact Centre, open 24/7 on freephone 1800 278 278, is available to answer queries in relation to the lifting of this notice.
Uisce Éireann is responsible for delivering public drinking water and wastewater services for the people of Ireland. We are committed to enabling communities to thrive by continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support sustainable growth and development, providing safe drinking water, and enhancing the environment.
Glenary water supply map
Previous Updates
Uisce Éireann has issued a Boil Water Notice for customers supplied by Glenary Public Water Supply.
This notice is being issued to protect the health of approximately 11,000 customers due to issues at the plant which have affected water quality.
Following on from our update earlier today, intermittent challenges with the filtration system have reduced the production of water and as a result many customers are experiencing outages across the town. Production at the plant has resumed however due to fluctuating turbidity levels, and in consultation with the HSE, a boil water notice has been issued to protect public health. Reservoir levels will continue to fill overnight.
All customers on this supply are advised to boil water before use until further notice.
Customers impacted include parts of Clonmel Town centre and surrounding areas including Cashel Road, Cahir Road and Ring Road.
The Kilcomma/Finger Post areas in Co. Waterford are also affected.
Alternative water supplies remain in place at the following locations:
- Poppys Field, Cashel Road Clonmel
- Civil Defence Fire Station, Heywood Road
- Tesco Car Park, Clonmel By Pass
Customers are reminded to use their own containers when taking water from the tanker and to boil water before consumption as a precautionary measure, as per advice from the Health Service Executive.
Customers can check if their property is on a boil water notice by visiting the Water Quality section of www.water.ie and entering the property’s Eircode or by calling the Uisce Éireann’s customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278.
A map of the area is below.
Drinking water experts from Uisce Éireann are working to rectify the turbidity issues at the treatment plant and lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible, in consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Uisce Éireann is also progressing works at the treatment plant to upgrade and improve the supply for the community.
John Fogarty, Uisce Éireann, regrets the inconvenience to impacted customers. “Public health is Uisce Éireann number one priority and we would like to assure customers that the notice has been put in place to protect public health. We acknowledge the inconvenience caused to homes and businesses and would like to assure customers that we are working to resolve recent issues and lift the notice as quickly and as safely 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 Health Service Executive (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. 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;
- Preparing Infant Formula: Where a Boil Water Notice is in place, you can prepare infant formula from tap water that has been boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute) and cooled beforehand. 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 1 minute), and cooled in the normal way. Ready-to-use formula that does not need added water can also be used.
Great care should be taken with boiled water to avoid burns and scalds as accidents can easily happen, especially with children.
Updates are available on our Water Supply Updates section, on X @IWCare and via our customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278.
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