Following consultations between national utility company Uisce Éireann and the Health Service Executive (HSE), the boil water notice on the Whitegate Public Water Supply in County Cork has been lifted with immediate effect.

The notice was issued on October 18, 2023 to protect the health of approximately 10,000 customers following increased turbidity and deterioration of the raw water source putting the drinking water disinfection process at the Whitegate Water Treatment Plant (WTP) at risk of being compromised.

The presence of turbidity in the incoming raw water is largely influenced by seasonal changes in Irish weather and given the limitations of the existing water treatment plant, it is extremely difficult to mitigate this issue.

To lift this boil water notice, Uisce Éireann undertook works to replace the pressure vessel and associated works at the Dower Spring abstraction point for the Whitegate supply. Following the completion of these works and satisfactory water sampling results, the notice has now been lifted.

-- Advertisement --

Uisce Éireann's Operations Manager, Niall O'Riordan, acknowledged the impact of the long-term boil water notice on customers: “Uisce Éireann's primary focus remains the protection of public health and we worked with our stakeholders to lift the notice once safe to do so. We acknowledge the frustration felt by the local community and we hope this will provide a welcome reprieve."

The lifting of the notice comes in the midst of Uisce Éireann's continued progress on the €22 million upgrade of the Whitegate WTP. This significant investment will address the risks to water quality and the frequent boil water notices the people of East Cork have experienced over the last number of years. The works are being carried out by Glanua on behalf of Uisce Éireann and are due for completion in late 2026. 

Following the completion of the Whitegate Water Treatment Plant upgrade, a more secure and reliable water supply will be available for the local community.  

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 is safe to do so, in agreement with the HSE.