Irish Water asks Kilkenny residents to conserve water and bin wipes
Kilkenny residents are being asked to conserve water but are being assured there will be no issues arising with the safety of the water supply.
People are also being asked to bin antisceptic wipes rather than flush them down toilets, as wipes are hard to move and can block up the drains.
Irish Water has moved to reassure the public that although they will be managing the safety of staff and abiding by HSE and World Health Organisation guidelines, they will be working to ensure a safe water supply and stated there is no evidence of coronavirus being transmitted through water.
In light of the current emergency, Irish Water have asked the public to conserve water and to turn off all non-essential water in buildings that will not be used during this period of restricted interaction.
In a statement released on Monday evening, the Irish Water said: “In light of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Irish Water Crisis Management Team has been meeting over the past number of weeks to deal with any issues arising.
“Irish Water’s aim is to ensure the safety and well-being of staff and to secure the supply of water and wastewater services on the public network. Irish Water is following HSE and Department of Health guidance for the existing situation and we are continually monitoring developments. Irish Water are also following advice and updates from the European Centre on Disease Control and the World Health Organisation.
“We would like to reassure members of the public that HSE and WHO guidance is that chlorination is sufficient to inactivate COVID-19 virus in drinking water. The recent WHO briefing is that there is no evidence to date that COVID-19 virus has been transmitted via sewerage systems, with or without wastewater treatment.
“Business Continuity teams in Irish Water will continue to convene regularly and continue to refresh and adapt contingency plans in line with the evolving situation.
“We are asking the public, both householders and businesses to help us in maintaining vital water and wastewater services by conserving water where possible.
“In particular, we are asking non-domestic customers to turn off all non-essential water in buildings which are not going to be in use for a period of time, including automatic flushing of urinals for example.
“We are also conscious that there may be an increased usage of antiseptic wipes at this time. We would ask that these are disposed of in a bin. Flushing wipes can cause blockages on the network,” the statement concluded.
