Skip to main content

Boil Water Notice lifted for all customers on the Whitegate Regional Water Supply with immediate effect

Update 20 December

Following consultation with the Health Service Executive, Uisce Éireann and Cork County Council can confirm that the Boil Water Notice in place since 27 November for all customers on the Whitegate Regional Water Supply has been lifted with immediate effect.

The Boil Water Notice was put in place as a precaution following an issue with the treatment process due to an increase in the turbidity of the raw water supplying the treatment plant. Uisce Éireann staff worked with colleagues in Cork County Council to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

Water being supplied to the area is safe to drink

Neil Smyth, Uisce Éireann's Operations Lead for Cork, said "Having carried out a detailed examination of each stage of the treatment process, and with the benefit of improved monitoring and controls, we are now satisfied that the water being supplied to the area is safe to drink. We continue to carry out works at the plant to further enhance the treatment process."

A partial lifting of the restriction for approximately one third of the population served by the plant was possible earlier this month after water supply was re-routed from other adjoining water supplies. The Boil Water Notice has now been lifted for all remaining customers. This re-routing of supplies will continue until further notice.

Neil Smyth added "We fully acknowledge the impact and inconvenience caused by this Boil Water Notice to homes and businesses. We wish to thank the community for their patience and cooperation while we worked to resolve this issue. Our priority is the provision of safe, clean drinking water and safeguarding that water supply for the future is a vital focus."

Should customers have any queries regarding this Boil Water Notice and the lifting of it they should contact our customer care helpline on 1800 278 278. Updates are available on the Water Supply Updates section, on Twitter @IWCare and via our customer care helpline open 24/7.

Previous Updates

Boil Water Notice lifted for some customers on the Whitegate Public Water Supply following works carried out by Uisce Éireann and Cork County Council.

Uisce Éireann in partnership with Cork County Council and following consultation with the HSE has lifted the Boil Water Notice for a population of approximately 3,000 people in the areas of Shanagarry and to the south and east of Midleton. You can view a map of the affected areas here.

However, the Boil Water Notice which has been in place since November 27, 2019 remains in place for all other areas in the Whitegate Public Water Supply. It has been possible to lift the restriction in these specific areas following works to redirect water supplies from other sources.

Uisce Éireann's drinking water and operational experts will continue to work with Cork County Council on the issue and will consult with the HSE to lift the Boil Water Notice for these remaining areas as quickly and as safely as possible.

The Boil Water Notice was put in place for the entire Whitegate public water supply as a precautionary measure following issues with the treatment process caused by an increase in turbidity in the raw water supplying the treatment plant.

You can view more information about Boil Water Notices below, and on our Boil Water Notice page, or by calling our 24-hour customer care line at 1800 278 278. Updates are available on our Water Supply Updates section and on Twitter @IWCare.

Boil Water Notice issued for Whitegate Public Water Supply

Following advice from the Health Service Executive, Uisce Éireann and Cork County Council have issued a Boil Water Notice for the area supplied by the Whitegate Public Water Supply to protect approximately 9,500 people following a recent drinking water quality test.

The Boil Water Notice has been put in place as a precautionary measure due an issue with the filtration process at the plant.

Working to resolve this situation as soon as possible

Uisce Éireann and Cork County Council are working to resolve this situation as soon as possible. In the meantime, all customers of this supply are advised to boil water before use until further notice. View map of affected areas.

Neil Smyth, Uisce Éireann Operations Lead said "We wish to apologise to the homes and businesses impacted by this Boil Water Notice. There have been previous water quality issues on this supply and we acknowledge the significant inconvenience this causes. We would like to assure the public that we are working to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. Our priority is the provision of safe, clean drinking water and protecting public health."

Updates

You can view more information about Boil Water Notices below, and on our Boil Water Notice page, or by calling our 24-hour customer care line at 1800 278 278. Updates are available on our Water Supply Updates section and on Twitter @IWCare.

View all projects and plans

Visit our Projects section to find out what's happening in your area.