A FREE text alerts service has been announced by Uisce Éireann which will provide water supply updates and information to over 40,278 households in Clare.
Nationally, 1.6m households will be able to avail of the new text alert system which will be the first time that all of Uisce Éireann’s customers will be able to sign up and receive notifications for their area. The service provides customers with details of supply interruptions that are expected to last longer than four hours. It will also include details on planned and unplanned outages and boil water notices should they be needed to protect public health.
Previously only vulnerable customers and business customers have been able to avail of a Text Alerts service, with the service now extending to all. The text alerts to all customers build on communications already in place and the need to support customers is clear. Data from Uisce Éireann shows it responded and managed over 12,000 planned and unplanned outages in 2023 with over 90% resolved in under 24 hours. Customers can quickly sign up by inputting their Eircode and mobile number via the Uisce Éireann website water.ie.
Research carried out by IPSOS B&A on behalf of Uisce Éireann shows that almost three quarters of its customers want to hear about water services with over half of businesses indicating they are interested in being regularly notified.
Uisce Éireann’s communication has been criticised by elected representatives and business owners in Clare, particularly those in North and West Clare where issues have been persistent over the summer months.
Geoffrey Bourke, Head of Customer Operations at Uisce Éireann said, “As Uisce Éireann carries out its day-to-day operational work and maintenance alongside a billion-euro worth of capital investment each year, we are aware that these works can have short-term impacts on water services to our customers. This Text Alerts service along with our current supports including the dedicated online outage portal on water.ie means homes and businesses are kept fully up to date on what to expect and when. We are supporting our customers with timely, accurate information which helps to keep all customers up to date on outages to the water supply network.
“In the past year, our figures show that we had more than two million interactions with customers via a range of channels including phone calls, texts and emails. From our research, while over half of customers are aware of who to contact in the event of a water outage, we are committed to ensuring that all are fully aware and have information provided in an ease of access manner. We are confident that the roll-out of this new service will play a crucial role in driving even more awareness of our work in communities across Ireland to deliver a clean, safe and reliable water supply. The service is easy to use, and I encourage people to avail of it by following the registration steps through water.ie,” he added.
