OVER 400 homes and businesses in north-west Conamara have been issued with ‘do not consume’ water notices since Thursday  [July 24] by Uisce Éireann.

Excessive levels of manganese have been detected in the Tully/Tullycross public water supply with bulk tankers now in place at five locations in that area.

Uisce Éireann has stressed that this is not a ‘boil water notice’ as boiling is ineffective in supplies that contain excessive levels of manganese – a naturally occurring metal found in soil, water and rocks.

Two water tankers have been located at each of five locations in the affected areas – Derryinver Bridge, Tullycross Church, Tullycross Community Hall, Tully National School and Rogan’s Shop, Tully.

Uisce Éireann has advised that the affected water supply should not be used for drinking, drinks made with water, in food preparation, the brushing of teeth and the making of ice.

In particular, children under the age of twelve months should not consume this water and it should not be used for the making of infant formula.

Parents and customers in the Tullyrcross area have also been advised by Uisce Éireann that domestic water filters will not render the water safe to drink.

Special care should also be taken when bathing infants to ensure that they do not swallow any of the affected water while ice cubes in freezers should also be discarded, according to Uisce Éireann.

The public supply water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing, flushing toilets, laundry and the washing of utensils.

Uisce Éireann’s Thomas Gibbons said this week that they were aware of the impact a ‘do not consume notice’ has on the community.

“We 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,” said Thomas Gibbons.

Uisce Éireann are liaising with the HSE [Health Services Executive] on an ongoing basis with a view to lifting the water restrictions ‘as soon as practicable’.

Updates are available on the Water Supply Updates section on www.water.ie or on X@IWCAre as well as the 24-hour helpline [listed above].

According to the HSE, the European Union Drinking Water Regulations, 2023, has set a manganese level of 50 micrograms per litre] although they point out that the World Health Organisation has a higher guideline safety figure of 80 microgrames per litre.

A special treatment process, called reverse osmosis, can be used to treat water with high manganese levels using a semi-permeable membrane to separate the water molecules from other pollutants such as manganese.

Meanwhile, following specialised testing of the Cleggan/ Claddaghduff public water supply in west Conamara, Uisce Éireann confirmed earlier this week that the water is safe to drink.

Uisce Éireann said on Monday that the test results had indicated the presence of the naturally occurring compounds – Geosmin and Methyl-Isoborneol (MIB) – in the raw water source, which led to some customers on the supply detecting ‘an earthy, musty smell and taste’ from their drinking water.

“While some customers may continue to experience taste and odour issues, the water continues to meet regulatory standards and is safe to drink.

“Drinking water microbiological and chemical analysis has indicated that the water on the Cleggan/Claddaghduff supply is compliant with drinking water regulations.

“Water produced at our treatment plants is tested daily in conjunction with extensive monitoring in the distribution network, and is safe to drink,” Uisce Éireann have stated this week.

Uisce Éireann’s Eoin Hughes said that while they understood the concerns raised by some customers in relation to the smell or taste of their drinking water, the compounds detected were not harmful with the water safe to drink.

“As a precaution, we have increased testing on this supply and are keeping the situation under close review,” he said.

Pictured: Warning…Uisce Éireann.