200,000 People Affected by Water Restrictions in 2023, EPA Reports

Almost 200,000 people in Ireland could not drink tap water at some point in 2023 due to health concerns, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While most were advised to boil water, 2,000 people were under restrictions not to drink it even after boiling. Of 66 boil water notices, 28 lasted over 30 days, and 23 of 34 water restriction notices also persisted long-term. For instance, 40 residents of Whiddy Island, Cork, have been unable to drink their water since August 2022.

Reasons for these notices included contaminants like E.coli, cryptosporidium, giardia, excessive pesticides, manganese, iron, and trihalomethanes (THMs). Currently, over 45,000 people across 47 supplies in 16 counties remain under boil water or restriction notices. An additional 467,000 people are served by 35 supplies in 16 counties deemed at risk of contamination, requiring urgent upgrades.

EPA programme manager Noel Byrne highlighted the need for significant work, noting the inconvenience and lack of resilience in water treatment. Despite overall high compliance rates (over 99%) at 700 treatment plants serving four million people, temporary problems are concerning. The 35 at-risk supplies, some on the EPA's remedial action list since 2017, are still years away from completion, including the Limerick City Environs supply serving over 126,000 people. THMs and treatment weaknesses are primary concerns.

Uisce Éireann stated that 10 supplies were removed from the remedial action list in 2023 after works, with 14 more expected to be removed or substantially completed by year-end. However, the EPA urged Uisce Éireann to take faster corrective action. The report also noted slow progress in replacing lead pipes, with only half of 180,000 identified in 2017 replaced or declared safe, and a 36% loss of treated drinking water due to leaks.