Tesco has seen an upsurge in its bottled water sales in Northern Ireland, following a warning that households in parts of the country could be exposed to contaminated water.

The retailer is set to impose rationing measures of water bottles on a per-person basis to ensure consumers have a fair chance of buying water, according to local press reports. The supermarket will also re-direct much of its stock from elsewhere in the country.

“People have been buying large quantities and in fact we will be introducing a limit on the amount individuals can buy so that everyone has a fair chance of getting something,” a Tesco spokesman said yesterday.

“We are currently moving supplies from our depot in Antrim and are re-directing water destined for other stores to those within the areas affected in order to try to accommodate our customers.”

The health warning affects 220,000 households across the eastern regions of County Antrim and County Down, as well as Belfast.