Growing numbers of Irish customers face drinking water risks

Drinking water quality assessments by the Republic of Ireland’s green regulator have highlighted an increase in the number of customers served by supplies that need improvements to safeguard public health.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report on drinking water quality for 2023 found that the number of people whose supply was on the regulator’s so-called Remedial Action List had risen to 561,000 – up from 481,000 the previous year.

This was primarily because of issues involving THMs (trihalomethanes — by-products of chlorine disinfection in drinking water) and cryptosporidium.

EPA director, Dr Tom Ryan, said that overall Ireland's public water quality remained very high. But, he said, “the resilience of drinking water supplies isn’t robust enough as evidenced by more at-risk supplies being identified by the EPA, and an almost doubling of long-term boil water notices in 2023.” 

He also complained that progress to remove lead from supply networks to protect public health remained too slow.