Boil Water Notice issued to protect customers in Newport town and surrounding areas

Information below is relevant until further updates are provided here or on our Supply and Service Updates section

Residents of Newport town and surrounding areas; Birdhill, Ballina, Gortybrigane Ballinahinch, Killoscully. should boil their water for drinking, food preparation and brushing teeth before use until further notice.

Our team at Uisce Éireann knows this will be disappointing and disruptive for households in the residential area but we want to reassure customers that we are working as quickly as possible to restore normal water quality. .

Following consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE) the notice has been put in place to protect public health due to a deterioration in raw water quality which has impacted treatment at the plant. 8,000 customers have been impacted in Newport and surrounding areas.

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 available on the Supply and Service section of water.ie

Drinking water experts from Uisce Éireann are working to lift the notice as quickly and safely as possible, in consultation with the HSE. 
Pierce Faherty, Uisce Éireann, said:

"We know how important a safe and reliable water supply is to everyday life and we understand the inconvenience this notice will cause for our customers in the residential area.

"Protecting public health is always our top priority. As soon as our monitoring identified issues affecting water quality, we acted immediately in consultation with the HSE to put this notice in place.

"Our teams are on the ground doing everything possible to resolve the issue and restore normal water quality as quickly as possible. We would like to thank the community for their patience and cooperation while this notice is in place.”

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

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. 

Uisce Éireann is committed to keeping customers informed across multiple platforms 24/7 and we encourage customers to engage with us through our website, X channels @IWCare and @IrishWater, on Facebook and LinkedIn and through our customer care helpline which is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278. 

Uisce Éireann has a free text service, providing real-time updates for local issues. Customers can sign up with their Eircode and mobile number at our Text Alerts page.

Customers can stay informed about their local water service by checking the supply and service section of our website, checking our live feed at X @IWCare, or signing up to receive real-time text updates. Our customer care team is also available 24/7 at 1800 278 278.