LIMERICK COUNTY COUNCIL has issued three separate water boil notices amid fears that drinking water may have been contaminated by the heavy rain fall in the region over the past 24 hours.

On advice of the Health Service Executive (HSE), the council said that a boil water notices had been issued to customers in a number of villages in the county including:

• The Ardagh Water Scheme serving Ardagh Village and the immediate surrounding area
• The Carrigeen Water Scheme serving the Carrigeen area near Croom
• The Tobergal water source serving the Feohanagh-Castlemahon Group Water Scheme, the villages of Broadford, Dromcollogher and surrounding areas.

The council said that the boil water notice would be in effect as a precautionary measure until further notice as it carries out an investigation into whether or not these water sources have been contaminated.

The council has also issued the following advice to householders in the affected areas is:

• Water must be boiled for drinking, drinks made with water, preparation of salads and similar foods which are not cooked prior to eating, brushing of teeth, and the making of ice.
• Water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing and flushing of toilets but not for brushing teeth or gargling.
• Boil water by bringing to a vigorous, rolling boil and allow to cool. Cover and store in a refrigerator or cold place.
• Water from the hot tap is not safe to drink. Domestic water filters will not render water safe to drink.
• Caution should be taken when bathing children to ensure that they do not swallow the bathing water.
• Discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges. Make ice from cooled boiled water.
• Use water prepared for drinking when preparing foods that will not be cooked (e.g. washing salads).
• Prepare infant feeds with tap water that has been brought to the boil once and cooled. Do not use water that has been reboiled several times. If bottled water is used for the preparation of infant feeds it should be boiled once and cooled.
• If you are using bottled water for preparing baby food, be aware that some natural mineral water may have high sodium content. Look at the label for sodium or `Na’ and check its level is not higher than 200mg per litre. If the content is higher, then it is advisable to use a different type of bottled water.
• If no other water is available, then use this water for as short a time as possible. It is important to keep babies hydrated.
• Anyone suffering from diarrhoea (i.e. three or more loose bowel motions in a 24 hour period) for more than two days should contact their general practitioner and provide a stool sample for testing. They should continue to drink plenty of boiled or bottled water.
• Great care should be taken with boiled water to avoid burns and scalds as accidents can easily happen, especially with children.