A water safety warning affecting 220,000 households across Northern Ireland is likely to last throughout today, officials confirmed.
Residents of nearly a quarter of a million properties have been warned to boil their cooking and drinking water after fears that supplies may be contaminated.
Northern Ireland Water said the scale of the warning was one of the largest it had recently dealt with, but said it issued the advice as a precaution after samples showed water may be contaminated.
Company spokesman David Dangerfield said they had yet to identify the cause of the possible contamination and said the alert was likely to remain in place throughout today.
In a statement, the firm said: “Northern Ireland Water has identified a potential quality issue with the water supplied from Dunore Point water treatment works.
“Having liaised with the health authorities, NI Water is advising customers, as a precautionary measure, to boil water for cooking and drinking.
“Approximately 220,000 properties are affected.”
The alert has hit the greater Belfast area and swathes of Counties Down and Antrim.
The specific areas affected include Antrim, Ballyclare, Ballymena, Belfast, Broughshane, Carnlough, Carryduff, Castlereagh, Crumlin, Dundonald, Dunmurry, Glenarm, Glenavy, Holywood, Kells, Newtownabbey, Randalstown, Templepatrick, and Toomebridge.
The company said: “Further testing will continue until samples have returned to normal. Customers will be notified as soon as their water can be used without boiling.”
For information and advice customers can contact Waterline on 08457 440088 or visit the Northern Ireland Water website on www.niwater.com.
PA