It has come to the attention of Limerick County Council that the public water supply served by the Abbeyfeale Water Scheme may be contaminated. On the advice of the Health Service Executive and as a precautionary measure pending further investigation, a boil water notice is being issued.
Accordingly, in the interest of public health, it is recommended that all users on the Abbeyfeale water scheme boil water before use.
· 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
· 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 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.
· Discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges. Make ice from cooled boiled water.
· Use water prepared for drinking when preparing foods that will not be cooked (e.g. washing salads).
· Prepare infant feeds with tap water that has been brought to the boil once and cooled. Do not use water that has been reboiled several times. If bottled water is used for the preparation of infant feeds it should be boiled once and cooled. If you are using bottled water for preparing baby food, be aware that some natural mineral water may have high sodium content. Look at the label for sodium or `Na’ and check its level is not higher than 200mg per litre. If the content is higher, then it is advisable to use a different type of bottled water. If no other water is available, then use this water for as short a time as possible. It is important to keep babies hydrated.
· Anyone suffering from diarrhoea (i.e. 3 or more loose bowel motions in a 24 hour period) for more than two days should contact their general practitioner and provide a stool sample for testing. They should continue to drink plenty of boiled or bottled water.
Great care should be taken with boiled water to avoid burns and scalds as accidents can easily happen, especially with children.
How long before the boil water notice can be lifted?
We do not know at present, but Limerick County Council will continue to liaise with the Health Service Executive with a view to lifting the Boil Water Notice as soon as practicable; However it is likely that the Boil Water Notice will remain in place for a number of days
How will we keep you informed?
Limerick County Council will issue updates via its website (www.lcc.ie) and via announcements on local radio
Remember to boil water as advised until further notice.
All areas supplied by the Abbeyfeale Water Scheme are affected and include
Abbeyfeale Town, Caher, Templeglantine, Rathcahill, Tournafulla, Mountmahon, Knocknasna, Ballagh, Cratloe, Coolwest, Parkanna, Templeathea, Athea Village and Direen
This notice does not apply to other water schemes in County Limerick
