Boil water notices have been issued for residents in Wexford town and Gorey following heavy rains and “elevated levels of turbidity in the supply.”
The recent Irish Water warnings affect thousands of residents supplied by Wexford Town Public Water Supply and the Gorey (Creagh) Urban Public Water Supply.
In a statement, Irish Water and the local authority said crews were unable to resolve the issues at the treatment plants.
The utility says water must be boiled on a rolling boil for one minute, and then cooled.
People looking to drink tap water, prepare drinks made with water, prepare foods, make ice and brush teeth should all boil their water first.
However, it is not necessary to boil water for washing hands and showering.
To ensure that babies/children do not consume (i.e. swallow) bath water, sponge bathing might be a suitable alternative for the duration of the Boil Water notice.
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 also recommended to boil drinking water and let it cool before giving it to your pet.
The notice is the second urgent boil water statement issued to residents in the county after thousands were affected in Wexford town last month.
Last month, up to 26,000 people were affected by a boil water notice in Wexford town due to issues with disinfection in the supply.
Similarly, Gorey was issued with a boil water notice in August after an investigation found that a power failure and a chlorine pump failure had led to water entering the public supply without proper disinfection.
Bacteria led to over 50 cases of illness and hospitalisations, including bacteria linked to E. coli.
