Irish Water still working on Horse and Jockey Public Supply
Irish Water in partnership with Tipperary County Council wish to remind customers supplied by the Horse and Jockey Public Water Supply, that the Boil Water Notice (BWN) issued on 3 September remains in place. Drinking water experts from Irish Water and Tipperary County Council continue to work to rectify the turbidity issues at the treatment plant. Upgrade works have commenced at the site in order to lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible, in consultation with the HSE.
The BWN was issued to protect the health of approximately 650 customers due to increased turbidity in the raw water source impacting the treatment processes at the water treatment plant. Areas impacted are Horse and Jockey, Forgestown, Moycarkey, Curraheen, Ballymurreen, Drumgower, Newtown and surrounding areas. Customers can check if their property is included by visiting the Water Quality section of www.water.ie and entering the property’s Eircode or by calling the Irish Water customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278.
Irish Water’s Operations Lead, Colin Cunningham, regrets the inconvenience to impacted customers, adding, “We acknowledge the inconvenience caused to homes and businesses and would like to assure customers that we are working to resolve the issue and lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible, in consultation with the HSE. The upgrade works have commenced on site and once complete sampling will be undertaken along with monitoring the performance of the plant to move towards lifting the Boil Water Notice. Please be assured we are working as quickly as possible to lift the notice. As the project progresses, Irish Water will provide further updates along with the expected timeline for lifting of the notice, however, we would hope to be in a position to lift the Boil Water Notice for customers before Christmas.
"In addition, Irish Water is also progressing long-term plans for the Horse and Jockey supply which will involve decommissioning the raw water source and treatment plant, and connecting the scheme to the Thurles Regional Water Supply Scheme. This significant project will safeguard the water supply for the local community and provide a safe and secure water supply for generations. Works are expected to commence in late 2023 and a further update will be provide as the project progresses.”
Irish Water’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 Irish Water’s enhanced testing and monitoring programme, the Health Service Executive (HSE) are 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 Irish Water receive direct communication on Boil Water Notices. Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled.