Irish Water has said it cannot say what effect heavy rains forecast for this evening will have on the embattled Leixlip Water Treatment plant.
A boil water notice remains in for around 615,000 in Dublin, Kildare and Meath after previous heavy rains caused problems at the Kildare plant.
This evening, a new Status Yellow rainfall warning came into force for Dublin, Kildare, Louth, Wicklow and Meath.
Met Éireann said there will be spells of heavy rains at times with “some spot flooding possible.”
In a statement, Irish Water said it is “not possible to say conclusively at this time” what effect the fresh rains will have on the water quality at the plant.
It said it will monitor the situation closely in the coming hours.
Rain continuing to spread eastwards this afternoon, turning heavy at times. Brighter conditions with scattered heavy shower will extend from the west where it will become breezy. Highs of 7 to 10°C. Fresh to strong westerly winds developing on parts of the west coast later today. pic.twitter.com/atXc929up0
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) November 6, 2019
It is the second boil water notice issued as a result of issues at the plants in a matter of weeks.
Irish Water said the heavy rains led to “very cloudy” water entering the Leixlip facility. It said it has two treatment plants at the facility and while, the newer one was able to safely manage the influx of cloudy water, the older plant was not.
The old plant supplies 20% of the overall daily water demand for the Greater Dublin Area.
The utility said it is continuing to meet with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the HSE to discuss the conditions that need to be met to life the boil water notice.
In consultation with the HSE and in partnership with @Fingalcoco, the Boil Water Notice issued on the Leixlip Water Treatment Plant supply remains in place. See https://t.co/AjKD5PxMVL for more.
— Irish Water (@IrishWater) November 6, 2019
Irish Water General Manager Eamon Gallen apologised for the impact of the notice on homes and businesses right around the Greater Dublin Area.
“Our number one priority is public health and the safety and well-being of our customers,” he said.
“While we are working to bring the water back to a safe standard so that the Boil Water Notice can be lifted, we would like to remind people to check if they are in an affected area and to familiarise themselves with the safety advice.
The Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy this afternoon visited the Leixlip plant to “better understand the process, the challenges and the mitigation measures” that are in place.
Irish Water has provided advice on what actions to take during a Boil Water Notice here.
