Irish Independent

Water and electricit­y off in some regions

- Paul Melia

MORE than 2,000 people in Co Wicklow and Co Waterford are on boil water notices as a precaution after valves have frozen in smaller water treatment plants.

Irish Water has also warned it will not be able to respond to loss of drinking water supply or issues at wastewater treatment plants until the worst of Storm Emma has passed.

“There are a few bursts across the network, but they’re not too bad,” a spokeswoma­n said. “The issue is a couple of boil water notices had to go on as valves have frozen, meaning correct levels of chlorine may not have been added. They are precaution­ary. Aughrim in Co Wicklow is affecting around 1,900 people, and there are a couple of small schemes in Co Waterford affecting a couple of hundred people.”

Irish Water added they would not send out repair crews until the storm had passed. “We’re standing down crews in line with National Emergency Coordinati­on Group advice until after the red warning is lifted,” the spokeswoma­n said, adding that outages could be logged at 1850

278278, and crews would be dispatched when it is safe.

The ESB said the number of faults across the network was relatively small, but outages in north Dublin and Sallins in Co Kildare had left around 3,850 people without power. Full service was expected to be restored by

8pm yesterday in Co Kildare, and supply had been restored in north Dublin earlier.

A spokesman said it was “keeping a very close eye on the situation”, and warned repair crews could be delayed accessing areas without power if weather conditions deteriorat­ed. No problems were reported by Eir or in Gas Networks Ireland.

 ??  ?? A snowman outside Macaris takeaway in Clondalkin, Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney
A snowman outside Macaris takeaway in Clondalkin, Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney

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