Do Not Consume water notice issued for thousands of homes in Cavan

Take note if you're living in the area.

Thousands of homes in Cavan have been issued with a Do Not Consume water notice. The notice, which is more severe than a Boil Water notice, was issued on Friday by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and Irish Water, working in partnership with Cavan County Council. All consumers on the Bailieborough Public Water Supply Scheme are told not to consume the water due to elevated levels of manganese in the water supply. The notice applies to 7,785 customers served by the Bailieborough Public Water Supply including Bailieborough, Killinkere, Virginia, Crossbane and Mullagh. Irish Water has advised that boiling the water will not reduce the level of manganese present and therefore is not a suitable measure of making the water safe to consume. Those living in affected areas were also warned that it's especially important that no mains drinking water is given to bottle fed infants. “At the moment we are adjusting the treatment processes at the plant so the water meets all regulatory compliances," a spokesperson for Irish Water said. "Once this has been achieved, we will begin flushing to clear out any remaining non-compliant water in the network. "Alternative sources of water will be provided for drinking and you can continue to use your internal water supply for flushing of toilets, personal hygiene (showering/bathing), laundry and washing utensils. Water from the hot tap of the kitchen or bathroom is not safe to drink." More information is available on the Irish Water website here.