Latest Laois News: Irish Water issues statement regarding complaints about Portlaoise Water quality

Irish Water’s statement says drinking water is safe to consume

Water produced at Kilminchy Water Treatment Plant fully compliant with statutory drinking water regulations according to Irish Water

“Discolouration experienced by a customer in the Mountmellick Road area of Portlaoise is most likely as a result of the ongoing works / restrictions in the area which are essential to ensure homes and businesses have sufficient water supply during the daytime”

“Irish Water, working in partnership with Laois County Council, can confirm that there have been no reported issues at the Kilminchy Water Treatment Plant and that the drinking water is safe to consume. The drinking water produced at this plant is fully compliant with statutory drinking water regulations. Irish Water carries out regular testing and monitoring of all public water supplies in Ireland in accordance with this legislation. If customers have concerns about their water quality or experience supply issues, they should contact the Irish Water customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278 or Twitter @IWCare so that we can investigate. 

Customers can get information on their drinking water quality and the parameters, including the pH values, that Irish Water test for by entering their address and the required date range at  www.water.ie/help/water-quality/results/. pH stands for Hydrogen ion concentration and is a measure of whether a liquid is acidic or alkaline. The pH scale ranges from 0-14. Water with a pH of seven is neutral, below seven is acidic, and above 7 is alkaline.

In Ireland, drinking water can pass through several kilometres of pipework before it reaches homes and businesses. Some of this pipework is constructed from cast iron and, depending on the area, can be up to 100 years old. Old cast iron mains typically suffer from corrosion and as a result, sediment from these pipes can be dislodged during or following repair or maintenance works, causing the water to appear brown as it comes out of the customers’ taps. This is not harmful to health and usually running the tap for a number of minutes will restore the clear colour. More information can be found at https://www.water.ie/water-supply/supply-issues/discoloured-water/.

In relation to the discolouration experienced by a customer in the Mountmellick Road area of Portlaoise, this is most likely as a result of the ongoing works / restrictions in the area which are essential to ensure homes and businesses have sufficient water supply during the daytime. The nightly restrictions are currently scheduled to continue from 10pm to 6am until Sunday 25 July, impacting the following areas: Mountmellick Road, Coote Street, Station Road, Harpur’s Lane, Newpark,Beechfield, Woodlawn Villas, New Row, Esker Hills, Ridge Road, Greenmill Lane, Craydon Court, Mill Court, Triogue Manor, Cois Na hAbbhann, Ballyfin Road, O’ Moore Place, Lakeglen, Glenregan, Lynden Court, Liogard, Beechlawn, Rossvale, Elm Lawn, The Garden Village, Fairgreen, Rossleaghan, Kyleclonherbert, Kyletalesha, Derrydavey, Clonreher, and surrounding areas in Portlaoise. We recommend that customers allow 2-3 hours after the estimated restoration time for normal supply to return, in particular for customers at the extremities of the network. Irish Water regrets any inconvenience caused and thanks customers for their patience while we work to safeguard the water supply in the area. 

Irish Water continues to work at this time with our local authority partners, contractors and others to safeguard the health and well-being of staff and the public and to ensure the continuity of drinking water and wastewater services. We would like to remind customers to continue to follow the HSE guidance on hand washing.

Water is a precious resource and should be conserved wherever possible. For tips and information on how to conserve water in the home, in businesses and on farms check out www.water.ie/conserve. Irish Water continues to encourage the public to report leaks they see in public places by calling the Irish Water customer care helpline which is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 or you can contact us through Twitter @IWCare“