The salient point of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2023 assessment of drinking water clarity underscores that the water provided through our public resources is deemed safe for consumption. This doesn’t negate the presence of issues, but these must be perceived keeping this information in mind.
The evaluation – done in compliance with EU norms – primarily focused on the sustainability of the system and the possibilities of its provided water remaining consumable in the future. There was an increase in the number of ‘at risk’ plans, up from 481,000 in 2022 to 561,000 in 2023.
This surge is chiefly due to more schemes surpassing the fit level of trihalomethanes – a potentially carcinogenic byproduct of treating water which contains high quantity of organic content with chlorine – or the lack of effective treatment against the protozoan Cryptosporidium, a cause of diarrhoea.
The EPA is advising the state-run water utility, Uisce Éireann to improve treatment plants, or to ensure their officious operation to curtail the escalating risk of protozoan contamination. It also highlights that the number of supplies not complying with the trihalomethanes standards is on the rise. At the start of this year, the Court of Justice of the European Union pronounced that Ireland had not completely enforced the Drinking Water Directive with regard to THMs in potable water. The continuity of these issues – with seven supplies labeled ‘at risk’ for over a year – poses as the most pressing concern of the report. Above all, the seeming incapacity of Uisce Éireann to redress these issues is alarming.
While Uisce Éireann is entrusted with the stability of the water supply, the Government is obligated to affirm the State body is equipped with the required resources and tools to fulfil its duties. It is prohibited from accumulating funds through water tariffs and was handed down an amalgamation of independent systems from local authorities when established, a common trait of which was chronic underfunding. In the end, government investment and the efficacy of how this money is utilised will dictate the strength of the water supply.