AN ESTIMATED 600,000 people have been issued with a Boil Water notice in Leinster.
Homes and businesses in parts of Counties Dublin, Kildare and Meath were advised that tap water was not safe to drink, brush teeth or wash food with unless it had been boiled and cooled beforehand.
Irish Water issued the notice yesterday after an issue with the water treatment plant in Leixlip may have left the entire supply unsafe to drink, and while the issue has since been resolved the water continues to travel through the system and into people's homes.
Irish Water expect the notice to remain in place for several days.
The company released a statement offering apologies for the impact that the notice will have for people across Leinster, saying:
"Irish Water acknowledges the impact and inconvenience caused by this Boil Water Notice to homes and businesses.
"We would like to reassure our customers that our drinking water and operational experts are working with our colleagues in Fingal County Council to resolve this issue as quickly as possible."
The company are collaborating with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as the Health Service Executive (HSE) and will issue a further notice when the water has been confirmed safe.
For now, people across the province are trying to cope with the lack of clean drinking water, with many taking to social media to show the impact it has had on businesses across the country.
The scene in @DublinAirport , Water fountains turned off (no signage explaining though) and the €1 water bottles gone. Cafes and shops still got lots for now though so everyone should survive the boil notice! #IrishWater #Water pic.twitter.com/V2oIzX9sRn
— nigel (@wheatln2) October 23, 2019
Supermarket shelves have been cleared of bottled water, but it seems people in Leinster aren't too fond of sparkling water.
...and as always, some are coping with humour.
Darn boil water notice #Fingal #IrishWater pic.twitter.com/2gosrrIXH9
— Aaron Glynn (@fishandhips75) October 22, 2019
