Efforts continue to lift boil water notice affecting west Mayo community
EFFORTS are continuing to lift the boil water notice currently in place on the Achill Public Water Supply.
All Uisce Éireann customers supplied by the Achill public water supply and group water schemes including Ards/Currane, Bleanaskil 1, Dooega, Dooniver, Dugort No.1, Dugort No.2, Sraheens (Achill) and Valley 1, must boil their water before consumption until further notice.
The notice was issued on July 14 to protect the health of customers due to process treatment issues and high demand on the local network. Uisce Éireann is also aware of reports of discolouration in the local network over the last week.
Uisce Éireann says it has made significant progress toward lifting the notice and can confirm the treatment process is now operational. Improvements in water quality and colour will begin to be seen customers’ taps over the coming days.
The boil notice will remain in place until clear test results on samples, due to be taken next week, are received. Once these results are received, Uisce Éireann hopes to be in a position, in consultation with the HSE, to lift the notice.
Spokesperson Colette Scahill thanked customers in Achill for their support to date and assured impacted residents, businesses owners and visitors that all possible steps are being taken to lift the notice as soon as it is safe to do so.
“We understand the inconvenience of a boil water notice, particularly at this time of the year when Achill is at its busiest,” she said.
“Our priority is and will always be the protection of public health. All available resources are being deployed to resolve the issue and safely lift the notice as soon as possible. We appreciate the patience and understanding of the Achill community while this work continues.”
Area Councillor Paul McNamara raised the matter at a municipal district meeting yesterday, critical of the lack of communication from the council around the boil notice.
The treatment plant is insufficient to meet demand when the population of Achill increases over the summer with the influx of visitors, he said.