Irish Water has published a statement outlining its approach in responding to the COVID-19 coronavirus.

The water company’s Crisis Management Team has been meeting over the past number of weeks to prepare for and deal with any issues arising from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Irish Water is following HSE, Department of Health and Government guidance for the existing situation and continually monitoring developments. The company is also following advice and updates from the European Centre on Disease Control and the World Health Organisation.

The utility said its Business Continuity teams will continue to convene regularly and will refresh and adapt contingency plans in line with the evolving situation.

Sufficient chemicals for water and wastewater treatment continue to be available

Irish Water is in regular contact with Local Authorities and other partners to ensure that:

• Staff welfare is protected
• Sufficient chemicals for water and wastewater treatment are and will continue to be available
• Plans for remote working and reduced staffing are in place and tested
• Service is maintained at its customer contact centre
• Appropriate Personal Protection Equipment is available
• Plans are in place to ensure that essential services can be maintained if an area should be restricted or critical staff are unavailable

Conserve water where possible and dispose of wet wipes properly

Irish Water is also asking the public, both householders and businesses to help in maintaining vital water and wastewater services by conserving water where possible.

In particular, the water company is also 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, for example, the automatic flushing of urinals.

Irish Water said it is also conscious that there may be an increased usage of antiseptic wipes and is asking customers to dispose of them in a bin, pointing out that the flushing of wipes can cause blockages on the network.

Speaking about the evolving situation, Managing Director of Irish Water Niall Gleeson, said:

“Irish Water’s absolute priority is the safety and well-being of our staff and the maintenance of water and wastewater services. As the situation evolves our plans will be amended and adapted to meet all of the emerging challenges. We are confident that we have the capacity and capability to maintain critical services for the country. I would like to thank our staff and our local authority partners who have shown great leadership and flexibility in the face of this crisis.”