Following routine testing by Cork County Council, elevated levels of lead have been  detected in drinking water within houses at Belmont Place, Park Terrace and Aileens Terrace, Cobh.

Cork County Council, in consultation with HSE South, is advising all householders in the above named estates not to drink, boil or use in food preparation, any water within any premises at those locations. All ice cubes in freezers and filtered water in fridges should be discarded.

Householders are being advised according by leaflet drop this afternoon.

Cork County Council is arranging for outdoor taps to be installed at two locations within Belmont Place, and at one location in each of Park Terrace and Aileens Terrace and these will be available by tomorrow afternoon July 29th 2010. Customers are advised that water from these taps will be safe to drink, boil and use in food preparation.

In the meantime,  as a precaution, Cork County Council is advising all customers in Belmont Place, Park Terrace and Aileens Terrace to use bottled water for drinking, boiling and for using in food preparation. Infant formula should be prepared with suitable bottled water with a sodium content of less than 20mg per litre. The sodium content is written on the side of the bottle as "Na" followed by a number. Bottle water that is labelled as "Natural Mineral Water" or "Spring Water" is NOT suitable for making infant formula. It should be noted that boiling the water does not reduce or remove the lead content from the water.

Water within houses in Belmont Place, Park Terrace and Aileens Terrace is safe for bathing, showering, and washing dishes and clothes.

Lead can be present in plumbing and water pipes in older buildings and can get into the drinking water.

The replacement of lead mains and communication pipes will form part of the National Mains Rehabilitation Programme for which Cork County Council is currently preparing its county wide submission