Community thanked as Portlaw Boil Water Notice is lifted

Customers in Portlaw must boil their water before using it for drinking, food preparation and brushing teeth until further notice. This is an essential measure introduced to protect public health after increased turbidity in the raw water affected the treatment process at the local water treatment plant.

Our team at Uisce Éireann understands that this will be disruptive and concerning for households and businesses across the area, but we want to reassure customers that we are working to restore normal water quality as quickly as possible.

We consulted with the Health Service Executive (HSE) before putting this notice in place. The Boil Water Notice applies to 1,647 customers in Portlaw and surrounding areas. 

Customers can check if their property is affected by visiting the Water Quality Section of our website 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 our website.

Our drinking water experts are working to restore normal water quality and lift the notice as quickly and safely as possible, in consultation with the HSE. 

Uisce Éireann is also reminding customers that two other boil water notices remain in place in Co Waterford.

A boil water notice for approximately 672 customers supplied by the Ballymacarbry Public Water Supply came into effect on July 15. This followed a deterioration in raw water quality caused by low water levels in the borehole and increased demand, resulting in elevated turbidity levels at Ballymacarbry Upper Water Treatment Plant.

A boil water notice for customers supplied by the Deelish Public Water Supply came into effect on 24 September due to a deterioration in raw water quality which has impacted the treatment process at the local water treatment plant.

Maura Phelan, Water Operations Manager, 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 customers, families, businesses and community groups across the 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 as a safety measure.

“Our teams are 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 essential work is carried out.”

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 precautionary notices may be issued to safeguard public health.

Customers are reminded that water is safe to consume once it has been boiled and cooled.

Water must be boiled for:

• Drinking
• Preparing drinks made with water
• Preparing salads and foods that are not cooked before eating
• Brushing teeth
• Making ice

What customers should do:

• Boil water by bringing it to a vigorous rolling boil and allow it to cool before use.
• Use boiled water when washing food that will not be cooked, such as salads.
• Water can still be used for washing, bathing and flushing toilets, but should not be used for brushing teeth or gargling.
• Domestic water filters will not make water safe to drink.
• Extra care should be taken when bathing children to ensure they do not swallow water.
• Great care should be taken when handling boiled water to avoid burns and scalds.

We encourage customers to stay informed by visiting water.ie, following @IWCare on X, or calling our customer care team on 1800 278 278. Customers can also receive free text alerts about their local water services by registering their Eircode and mobile number at water.ie.

Vulnerable customers who are registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communication when Boil Water Notices are issued.