A precautionary boil water notice is to remain in place for some 10,000 customers in East Cork.
This is the third time in less than eight weeks that customers in the area have had to boil or buy their drinking water.
Record rainfall levels since Christmas have meant that the ground water levels locally are very high affecting the turbidity (or cloudiness) of the water in the River Dower which supplies the Whitegate Regional Water Supply Scheme.
Heavy rain last Friday triggered the issuing of the precautionary boil water notice over the weekend.
Daily testing of the water quality is being carried out but Irish Water, who are liaising with the HSE, said it could be a number of days before the boil water notice is lifted.
The company apologised to its customers and said that they will be refunded on a pro-rata basis for the loss of water.
Among the customers affected by the boil water notice is Whitegate Oil Refinery and the ESB's Aghada Power Plant. Both companies are bringing in bottled water for their employees.
The advise is to boil all water for drinking, food preparation, brushing of teeth and making of ice until further notice. Water can be used as normal for washing and flushing of toilets.
Further information is available on www.water.ie or on 1890 278 278.
