Do Not Consume Notice issued for Whiddy Island Public Water Supply

As of September 6th following consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE) Irish Water, working in partnership with Cork County Council, has issued a Do Not Consume Notice for consumers on the Whiddy Island Public Water Supply. The notice was issued due to low water levels at raw water extraction point and high levels of colour and turbidity in the treated water causing the drinking water quality entering the Whiddy Island public water supply to be affected.

The notice applies to approximately 30 customers and is effective immediately. It is especially important that mains drinking water is not given to bottle fed infants. Please note that this is not a Boil Water Notice, i.e. boiling and cooling your water will not make it safe to drink.

Bottled water is being made available “The Bank Hall/House”

Irish Water drinking water compliance and operational experts are working with colleagues in Cork County Council to resolve this situation as soon as possible. Further updates will be issued early next week.

Speaking about the imposition of the notice, Tommy Roche, Irish Water said: “Irish Water is aware of the impact a Do Not Consume Notice has on the community and would like to reassure impacted customers that we are working hard to lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible. We would like to thank customers in advance for their patience and cooperation and advise any customers who have concerns to contact our customer care team on 1800 278 278.”

Water must not be used for:

  • Drinking
  • Preparing drinks made with water
  • Preparation of salads and similar foods, which are not cooked prior to eating
  • Brushing of teeth and/or gargling
  • Making of ice.

You may use your water for the following:

  • Personal hygiene, baths and showers
  • Flushing of toilets
  • Watering plants and flowers

Caution:

  • 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.
  • If you have pets and are concerned about the impact of providing mains water while this Do Not Consume Notice is in place, you should ask your local vet for advice.

Only use Prepared/ Bottled Water when preparing foods that will not be cooked (e.g. washing and preparing salads)

Preparing Infant Formula:

Where a Do Not Consume Notice is in place, you can prepare infant formula from bottled water. 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.

If you are boiling bottled water to prepare infant formula, care should be taken with boiled water to avoid burns and scalds. Accidents can easily happen, especially with children.

Updates will be available on www.water.ie at the Water Supply Updates section, on Twitter @IWCare and via our customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278. Customers can also set the location feature on water.ie for localised information about their water supply.