The latest from a difficult week…
It’s been a tricky week for many of us, what with not being able to drink water from the tap and all.
Some of you may have routinely forgotten this, leading to awkward panicked scenes at the sink. Others may have just carried on regardless.
And that’s to say nothing of bare supermarket shelves – due to both a sudden increase in demand and specific product recalls over contamination fears – as a water-based crisis sets in.
On Tuesday night, Irish Water issued a notice stating that some contaminated water had entered the system at their Leixlip plant.
This resulted in the water being compromised and potentially dangerous, with up to 600,000 people being potentially affected.
An interactive map of affected areas can be accessed here.
The latest? Get used to it for at least a little while longer.
Speaking on RTÉ Morning Ireland on Friday morning (25 October), Yvonne Harris, Head of Customer Operations at Irish Water, confirmed that the notice is still active and may not be lifted before the weekend.
Harris said that she had hoped to deliver positive news but “can’t pre-empt that decision”.
An Irish Water meeting is scheduled to take place on Friday afternoon, with a public update to follow.
Harris reminded people to boil water for human consumption with regards to drinking, preparing uncooked foods and brushing teeth, and that the water is safe for hygiene purposes.
An investigation into the cause of the matter is ongoing, with an audit carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday evening.
Harris noted that the notice will not be lifted until the entire affected area is treated, rather than operate on a stage-by-stage basis.
“The protocol has to be followed very, very strictly, and rightly so,” she said.
“Public health is our number one priority.”
Clip via Irish Water
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