Do Not Consume Notice for Athy lifted with immediate effect

18 August 2023

Information below is relevant until further updates are provided here or on our Supply and Service Updates section.

All consumers in Bridgefield Manor and Coneyburrow, Athy can now resume normal use of the water supply for drinking, food preparation, and brushing teeth

Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Kildare County Council, wishes to notify all customers in Bridgefield Manor and Coneyburrow supplied by the Barrow Water Supply Zone, that the Do Not Consume Notice is lifted with immediate effect.

This decision follows consultation undertaken with the Health Service Executive (HSE) following the completion of remedial measures and the receipt of satisfactory monitoring results.

All consumers in Bridgefield Manor and Coneyburrow, Athy can now resume normal use of the water supply for drinking, food preparation, and brushing teeth.

Speaking about the lifting of the notice, Kevin Love, Operations Lead with Uisce Éireann, said: "Uisce Éireann acknowledges the impact the notice had on the community, and we would like to thank them for their understanding and patience our drinking water compliance and operational experts worked hard to resolve this issue as quickly and as safely as possible.

We are also grateful to the media, elected representatives, and members of the public who shared the information to impacted customers. We would also like to thank Kildare County Council and the HSE for their input and support throughout the process."

If customers have any queries regarding this Do Not Consume Notice and the lifting of it, they should contact Uisce Éireann directly on our customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278.

Uisce Éireann is responsible for delivering public drinking water and wastewater services for the people of Ireland. We are committed to enabling communities to thrive by continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support sustainable growth and development, providing safe drinking water, and enhancing the environment.

Click to view map of affected area

Previous Updates

Alternative water supplies will be provided at the following locations: Dun Na Ri, Coney Avenue, Coney Green, Bridgefield Manor, Coney Meadows, and The Burrows

Following consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE), Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Kildare County Council has issued a Do Not Consume Notice for all consumers in Bridgefield Manor and Coneyburrow in Athy, due to elevated levels of aluminium and manganese detected in the network. The notice applies to approximately 1,177 customers supplied by the Barrow Water Supply Zone.

It is especially important that mains drinking water is not given to bottle fed infants.

Please note this is not a Boil Water Notice. Boiling the water will not reduce the aluminium and manganese levels and is therefore not a suitable measure to make the water safe to consume. This notice does not apply to other areas and water schemes in KIldare.

Uisce Éireann drinking water compliance and operational experts are working with colleagues in Kildare County Council to resolve this situation as soon as possible.

Alternative water supply locations

To support customers, an alternative water supply is available at the following locations: Dun Na Ri, Coney Avenue, Coney Green, Bridgefield Manor, Coney Meadows and The Burrows (See attached map). Customers are reminded to use their own containers when taking water from the tanker and, as a precaution, boil the water before drinking.

Speaking about the imposition of the notice, Kevin Love, Operations Lead with Uisce Éireann said: "Uisce Éireann is aware of the impact a Do Not Consume Notice has on the community and would like to reassure impacted customers that we are working to lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible. We would ask customers who have concerns to contact our customer care team on 1800 278 278."

This water should not be used for

Drinking
Drinks made with water
Food preparation, washing or cooking of food,
Brushing of teeth
Making of ice
Children under 12 months old should not drink this water
In particular, children under 12 months old should not drink this water. This water should not be used for making up infant formula for bottled fed infants. An alternative source of water should be used. 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 best not to use bottled water labelled as 'Natural Mineral Water' as it can have high levels of sodium (salt) and other minerals, although it rarely does. 'Natural Mineral Water' can be used if no other water is available, for as short a time as possible, as it is important to keep babies hydrated.
If bottled water is used to make up infant formula it should be boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute), and cooled in the normal way
Ready-to-use formula that does not need added water can also be used.
Domestic water filters will not render water safe to drink
Caution should be taken when bathing infants to ensure that they do not swallow the bathing water
Discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges

What can you use water for?

The water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing, flushing toilets, laundry and washing of utensils
Uisce Éireann and Kildare County Council will continue to liaise with the Health Service Executive with a view to lifting this drinking water restriction as soon as practicable.

Updates are available on our Water Supply Updates section, on Twitter @IWCare and via our customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278.

Notice applies only to customers in Bridgefield Manor and Coneyburrow in Athy