Lough Talt boil water notice still in place

IRISH Water has issued a reminder to customers supplied by the Lough Talt public water supply that the scheme remains on a boil water notice.

Works are progressing at the existing Lough Talt treatment plant to ensure a safe and secure supply of water will be delivered by the end of 2020.

The current Lough Talt water treatment plant does not provide adequate treatment for protection against cryptosporidium and needs to be upgraded. The risk of further detections remains high without a validated barrier against cryptosporidium. This can result in severe illness if the public do not boil their water before consumption.

Generally the highest number of cryptosporidiosis cases are reported in springtime.

The water supply is included on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Remedial Action List (RAL), because the existing water treatment plant does not provide sufficient protection against cryptosporidium and trihalomethanes (THM).

Commenting, John McElwaine, Irish Water said: “Public health is our number one priority and it is imperative that people adhere to the boil water notice which remains in place. Irish Water is committed to safeguarding the treated water supplied from the Lough Talt Regional Water Supply for the future and would like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience they are experiencing due to the current boil water notice.

“We would like to once again thank the public for their continued cooperation and patience while we work to deliver this much-needed upgrade’.”

Approximately 13,000 people are affected, including the towns of Tubbercurry and Ballymote and a large rural hinterland including the villages of Annagh, Aclare, Bellaghy, Curry, Lavagh, Ballanacarrow, Carrowneden, Kilmacteige and Coolaney. The boil water notice also includes consumers supplied by the Ogham Group Water Scheme and the following areas in Mayo: Cloontia, Doocastle and Quarryfield.

The boil water notice is no longer in effect in the Bellaghy area following a connection which allowed this area to be supplied from the Charlestown public water supply. This connection removed 488 customers from the boil water notice in Bellaghy, Sandyhill, Cloonaughill, Cully, the southern 80% part of Bunnacrannagh, Brackloonagh, Brogher, Lissard, and Curryfuel.

Business customers will receive a 40% rebate on the cost of the supply of water to their businesses for the duration of the boil water notice and this will be back dated to February 5, 2018.

Further information on boil water notices can be found on https://www.water.ie/water-supply/water-quality/boil-water-notice/.