Do not consume notice issued for Dernakesh

Following consultation with the Health Service Executive, Cavan County Council is issuing a Do Not Consume Notice with immediate effect for those on the Dernakesh Group Water Supply Scheme.

This notice applies to all customers served by the Dernakesh Group Water Supply. Cavan County Council have issued the following guidelines.

IMPORTANT: Boiling your water will not render it safe to drink

Drinking Water

Please use an alternative safe source of drinking water (e.g. Bottled Water) for the following:

- Drinking

- Preparing Drinks made with water

- Cooking of Food.

- Food preparation including washing and preparation of salads and similar foods, which are not cooked prior to eating

- Brushing of teeth and/or gargling

- Making of ice. However, ensure you first discard all existing ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges

IMPORTANT: Water from the hot tap of kitchen or bathroom sinks is not safe to drink.

Permitted uses

You can continue to use your internal water supply for the following:

- Flushing of toilets

- Personal hygiene (showering/bathing)

- Laundry and washing utensils (high levels of Manganese may effect performance of washing machines / dishwashers)

Caution:

- Domestic water filters will not render your water safe to drink.

- Discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges. Make ice from an alternative safe source of water (e.g. bottled water)

- If you have pets and are concerned about the impact of providing mains water while this Do Not Consume Notice is in place, you should ask your local vet for advice.

Preparation of Baby Formula

Where a Do Not Consume Notice is in place, you can prepare infant formula from bottled water. All bottled water, with the exception of natural mineral water, is regulated to the same standard as drinking water. It is best not to use bottled water labelled as ‘Natural Mineral Water’ as it can have high levels of sodium (salt) and other minerals, although it rarely does. ‘Natural Mineral Water’ can be used if no other water is available, for as short a time as possible, as it is important to keep babies hydrated. If bottled water is used to make up infant formula it should be boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute) and cooled in the normal way. Ready-to-use formula that does not need added water can also be used.

Burns and Scalds

If you are boiling bottled water to prepare infant formula, care should be taken with boiled water to avoid burns and scalds. Accidents can easily happen, especially with children.