North Meath villages remain without water
Uisce Éireann says it is continuing to work to restore normal water supplies to customers across County Meath following disruptions caused by the impact of Storm Éowyn.
In the wake of the storm, widespread power outages have been experienced throughout the county, particularly in north Meath.
Many water treatment plants are now back in operation through the restoration of power supply in the area or the deployment of generators.
Power has been restored at Enfield, Longwood and Lough Bane Water Treatment Plants.
A number of smaller water treatment plants and pumping stations throughout rural County Meath are still without power and we are continuing to co-ordinate with the ESB, the local authority and other agencies to restore power and bring the plants back into operation as soon as possible.
Water supply was disrupted due to a power outage at the Clonard water treatment plant affecting Clonard village including the Abbeyfields and Meadowview housing estates. Power has now been restored but an alternative water supply has been mobilised from this afternoon, January 27th, at the Old Monastery pub carpark as well as in both housing estates to allow the reservoir to replenish. A further alternative water supply unit is also available in the SuperValu car park in Enfield.
In Moynalty, the water treatment plant is currently out of power and alternative water supplies in the form of pallets of bottled water are available outside the Credit Union to serve the village and the rural hinterland. Arrangements are being made to put in place a static tanker in Moynalty village as well as alternative water supplies in nearby Carlanstown.
Uisce Éireann wishes to advise its customers that there will be intermittent power outages across the county and this may impact on the normal water supply. In the meantime, customers are urged to conserve water where possible in order to protect supply while the outages are resolved.
Michael Cunniffe, Uisce Éireann, said: “Our crews are on the ground in all impacted areas working to restore water services as quickly as possible by sourcing and installing generators at plants where power has not yet been restored. In some areas the electricity supply remains intermittent which can prolong the time it takes to restore water supply. We apologise to customers who have been without water for a few days and ask for the public’s continued patience during this challenging time.”
Meanwhile, a precautionary boil water notice remains in place to protect the health of approximately 1,860 customers served by the Oldcastle-Kells Water Supply Scheme. A loss of electricity at the Fennor reservoir impacted the treatment processes at the water treatment plant. The impacted areas include Oldcastle, Fennor, Farranaglogh, Ardfrail, Tubride, Newcastle and surrounding areas.
Drinking water experts from Uisce Éireann are working to rectify the issues at the treatment plant and lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible, in consultation with the HSE. In the meantime, all customers on this supply are advised to boil water before use until further notice.
Michael Cunniffe continued, “Public health is Uisce Éireann's number one priority and we would like to assure customers that the notice has been put in place to protect public health. We acknowledge the inconvenience caused to homes and businesses and would like to assure customers that we are working to resolve the issue and lift the notice as quickly and as safely possible.”
Customers can check if their property is included by visiting the Water Quality section and entering the property’s Eircode or by calling the Uisce Éireann’s customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278.
Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communication on Boil Water Notices. Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled.
Uisce Éireann has also launched a free text service, providing real-time updates for local issues. Customers can sign up with their Eircode and mobile number at www.water.ie