Boil Water Notice Remains in Place on Ardfinnan Regional Supply Scheme
Information below is relevant until further updates are provided here or on our Supply and Service Updates section
Uisce Éireann is making every effort to safeguard water supply for all customers on the Ardfinnan Regional Supply Scheme, as work continues on measures to lift the Boil Water Notice and to increase water levels at reservoirs in Goatenbridge WTP, Edenmore and Jamestown.
Night time restrictions remain in place and further measures will be considered based on operational assessments of conditions at Goatenbridge Water Treatment Plant. Restrictions will be in place from 10pm tonight until 6am, starting Friday, September 19 and will continue on Saturday night, September 20 and Sunday night, September 21.
The Boil Water Notice was issued on 4 September to protect the health of 11,500 customers due to the presence of cryptosporidium in the raw water source. All consumers affected by this notice must boil their water before drinking.
The Goatenbridge Water Treatment Plant supplies up to 11,500 customers across Ardfinnan, Goatenbridge, Cahir, Newcastle, Poulmucka, Clerihan and surrounding areas. Approx. 5,000 customers are supplied directly from the plant reservoir, and all other customers are supplied from reservoirs at Edenmore and Jamestown. Building water levels in these reservoirs ensures Uisce Éireann can maintain supply to these customers in the event of any outage or water quality event at the plant.
Reservoir levels are low across the network which has resulted in significant impact for all customers across the scheme. This is due to high demand, followed by a weather event which interrupted supply at the plant, as well as a significant burst to the raw water main that supplies the Goatenbridge Water Treatment Plant and operational issues at the plant. Operational teams are closely monitoring supply and process teams are also reviewing measures at the plant to optimise treatment processes on site.
Uisce Éireann’s Operation Lead Pierce Faherty acknowledged recent challenges with the water supply and thanked the public for their support. “Goatenbridge Water Treatment Plant relies on a raw water source from the Knockmealdown Mountains that is vulnerable to changing weather conditions and can be difficult to treat following flash rainfall. Our frontline operational teams have been deploying a number of efforts to maintain production at the plant and to safeguard daytime supply across the network.
We acknowledge the impact on customers and want to assure people we are making every effort to lift the boil water notice as quickly as possible, but only when we can be assured of the water quality. Public health remains our top priority.”
Previous Updates
The Boil Water Notice for all customers supplied by the Ardfinnan Regional Supply Scheme remains in place.
The notice was put in place on 4 September to protect the health of almost 11,500 customers following high levels of turbidity in the raw water source at the Goatenbridge Water Treatment Plant.
Testing has shown the presence of cryptosporidium therefore the boil water notice will remain in place at this time.
Customers can check if their property is included by visiting our Water Quality section and entering the property’s Eircode or by calling the Uisce Éireann customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278.
A map of the area is attached and available to view on the supply and service section of our website.
Uisce Éireann’s Pierce Faherty said: “We acknowledge the inconvenience of a Boil Water Notice on the local community and would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.
“We would like to assure those impacted that our crews are working as quickly and efficiently as possible to lift the notice.
“The notice is necessary as recent high levels of rainfall have caused a deterioration in the raw water entering the treatment process.
“Separately, the Water Treatment Plant is also undergoing extensive upgrades, leading to difficulties in maintaining normal operations at the plant.”
Uisce Éireann’s drinking water standards, as per EU Drinking Water regulations, are strict and include wide safety margins.
Where risks to water quality are identified through Uisce Éireann’s enhanced testing and monitoring programme, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is consulted, and Boil Water Notices are issued to protect public health. In all instances immediate action is taken to address the cause of the issue to enable the lifting of the notice as quickly as it safe to do so, in agreement with the HSE.
Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communication on Boil Water Notices. Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled.
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 - discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges. Make ice from cooled boiled water.
What actions should be taken:
- Use water prepared for drinking when preparing foods that will not be cooked (e.g. washing salads);
- 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 (e.g. with an automatic kettle) 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;
- Preparing Infant Formula: Where a Boil Water Notice is in place, you can prepare infant formula from tap water that has been boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute) and cooled beforehand. Bottled water can also be used to make up infant formula. 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.
- Great care should be taken with boiled water to avoid burns and scalds as accidents can easily happen, especially with children.
Updates are available on our Water Supply Updates section of our website,, on X (formerly Twitter) @IWCare and via our customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278.
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