Uisce Éireann and Louth County Council can confirm that the two Boil Water Notices issued on the Ardee Public Water Supply, including customers in Smarmore served by Blakestown Reservoir, have been lifted with immediate effect. This follows consultation with the HSE.
The notices were issued to protect public health following separate operational issues impacting the chlorine levels in the Blakestown Reservoir in August and the treatment processes at the water treatment plant in September. Following remedial works and the receipt of satisfactory sampling results on the network, both boil water notices are now lifted with immediate effect. All customers supplied by the Ardee Water Supply can now resume normal use of the water supply for drinking, food preparation and brushing teeth.
Michael Cunniffe, Uisce Eireann, acknowledged the impact on the community, adding: “On behalf of Uisce Éireann, I’d like to thank the community of Ardee and Smarmore for their patience, co-operation and assistance while we worked to lift the boil water notices as quickly as it was safe to do so. We regret any inconvenience caused to homes and businesses”.
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 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.
The Uisce Éireann Customer Contact Centre (1800 278 278) is available to answer customer queries in relation to the lifting of these water quality notices.
