Over 12,000 people in Clare are still drinking from a water supply in need of corrective action.
Both West Clare’s Old and New Regional Supply Networks which serve over 9,000 and 3,000 people respectively both have unresolved issues with Trihalomethanes which are a by-product of chlorine as well as water treatment.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest annual public drinking water supplies report, upgrades to the Ennistymon and Corofin Water Treatment Plants, mean there are 8,000 fewer Clare people on at risk network this year
Noel Byrne, from the EPA’s Drinking Water and Wastewater Enforcement Team, says however that improvements are needed.
“Lead in our drinking water is a cumulative risk to human health and must be removed from our supply network. The risk is greatest for young children, infants and babies in the womb. Despite Ireland having a National Lead Strategy in place since 2015, progress to date has been far too slow. The legal limit for lead in our drinking water will halve in 2036 (from 10ugl to 5ug/l) – so much greater focus is needed by Government Departments and Uisce Éireann to remove lead from the supply network and public buildings. The EPA welcomes the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage commitment to review progress in 2025.”
Uisce Éireann Statement
“Uisce Éireann welcomes the latest Drinking Water Report published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which confirms that Ireland’s public drinking water supplies continue to meet exceptionally high standards, with over 99.8% compliance with microbiological and chemical regulations.
This achievement reflects sustained investment and operational improvements across the country. In 2024, Uisce Éireann invested over €1.3 billion in upgrading water and wastewater treatment plants and networks, enhancing resilience and safety for communities nationwide.
One such example of this is the recent completion of a major upgrade to Corofin Water Treatment Plant in Co Clare securing the water supply, which has provided enhanced treatment facilities ensuring a safe and reliable water supply for local homes and businesses. This project now benefits a population of over 1300 customers.
This project involved a major upgrade of the water treatment plant which includes new clarification and filtration systems, residual treatment, dosing systems and a full electrical upgrade. This investment has resulted in the supply removed from the Environmental Protection Agency’s ‘at risk’ list.”
