The all-clear was given yesterday to most of the 30,000 residents living in the greater Ennis area that their water is safe to drink once more.
This follows the Health Service Executive (HSE), Clare County Council and Ennis Town Council lifting the third "boil notice" on Ennis's water supply in four months.
But the notice, imposed two week ago, remains for residents of Crusheen village due to a minor bacterial presence in its supply. The "boil notice" also remains as a precaution for vulnerable sectors of the community including pre-school children and those in care in hospitals, nursing homes, day-care centres and creches. This notice will remain in place until October 2007 when a €6.5 million treatment plant becomes operational.
The lifting of the notice coincided with Ennis town engineer Tom Tiernan yesterday accusing a few people of scaremongering over the Ennis water supply.
He said the supply was as good as anywhere in the country, but remained vulnerable as Ennis had no fully fledged treatment plant.