A contamination problem with the water in the Gowran, Goresbridge, and Paulstown areas has led Kilkenny County Council to issue a boiled water notice to residents.
In a statement issued on Wednesday the council said: “Following a suspected contamination of the Gowran/Goresbridge/Paulstown Water Supply Scheme, there has been ongoing testing of the water supply on this scheme by the HSE and Kilkenny County Council.
“The results of five tests sampled on Tuesday, March 29, show that no e-coli was present. Testing on the scheme on March 28, revealed five clear results with just one sample showing a minor exceedance of two e-coli/100mls.”
Additional samples were taken on Wednesday and these results will be published as soon as possible. Further tests are yet to be carried out.
The boil water notice remains in place as a precaution until a number of successive results confirm there is no contamination present.
The council advises residents of the area to boil water by bringing it to a vigorous, rolling boil and allowing to cool. Cover and store in a refrigerator or cold place. Water from the hot tap is not safe to drink and domestic water filters will also not render water safe to drink.
The water is not fit for drinking, or for drinks made with water, cleaning teeth, preparing babies’ feeds, preparing food ie. salads, or for the making of ice. Caution should be taken when bathing children to ensure that they do not swallow the bathing water. Discard ice cubes and filtered water in fridges and freezers and prepare baby foods with water that has been brought to the boil once and cooled.
Meanwhile, untreated tap water can be used for bathing and washing, flushing the toilet, washing clothes.
Kilkenny County Council website is providing daily updates on the issue - see www.kilkennycoco.ie for further details.
