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Investigatesmuddied watersTHOUSANDS OF PEOPLE are missing out on compensation from Uisce Éireann by complaining to their public representatives rather than the company itself.
New figures show there were just 166 complaints made by individuals to Uisce Éireann in the first half of 2024 – but in the same period, TDs and councillors raised almost 8,500 issues from constituents with the company, bypassing the compensation process.
Customers can only apply for a payout if they have complained directly to the company.
Uisce Éireann - formerly known as Irish Water – initially refused a request from The Journal Investigates under the Freedom of Information Act asking how many customers had received compensation.
The state-owned company argued that it “would not be in the public interest” for the figures to be reported, as it could lead to an “increase in the number of claims made”.
After being challenged on this by our reporter, it provided the figures.
If the number of people who complained to their public representatives instead complained to Uisce Éireann, the company could end up paying out tens or even hundreds of thousands more every year.
While the number of payouts has almost doubled in the last two years, the figures remain low: there were just over 160 payouts for the whole of 2024, totalling just €4,895 in compensation.
Customers who complain to Uisce Éireann and do not get a response within 5 working days with a plan to solve the problem, or do not get an update after 10 days – are entitled to a €30 payout – but many don’t know that.
The complaints section of the Uisce Éireann website does not mention that compensation is available to people who have to wait too long for their issue to be addressed. Instead, it is buried in a link on the page.
Additionally, if someone makes a claim and Uisce Éireann doesn’t send them the €30 within 30 working days, they’re entitled to an additional €15.
The number of people complaining to the company and to public representatives shows the scale of water problems in the country – and issues in how the complaints are being dealt with.
€30 is an insult really when you have to live with bad water quality. Even the €100 they sent me was an insult.
Rebecca*, who lives in Leinster, had significant issues with the water in her home for three years before it was resolved.
She says it’s not about the money, but rather how Uisce Éireann treats its customers.
The water never ran clear from the time she moved in, in 2021. “So many white items were discoloured in the washing machine, some of them nearly turned orange.”
She estimates that she sent “hundreds” of emails to Uisce Éireann in that time. They assured her they were taking it seriously and would fix the problem. She was not aware that there was compensation available.
Rebecca enlisted the help of a local councillor. Eventually, she says, Uisce Éireann stopped responding to her and would only respond to the councillor.
“You were never given a time frame or even a ballpark of when any work was going to take place,” she told The Journal Investigates.
“I thought that this was us forever. I was even thinking, are we just gonna have to sell the house and move out? Because you can’t go on with water like this. It’s just utter madness.”
The company randomly sent her €100 for the inconvenience – more than the usual €30 payout – but by that time she had spent over €500 on filters and replacing parts, as well as €215 on getting her water tested.
“It’s really, really bad customer service for a company that is state funded. It’s not on.”
In a statement, Uisce Éireann cited the Commission for Regulation of Utilities’s (CRU) 2022 report which said the percentage of complaints resolved within five working days was 98%. It says it’s enhanced the complaints process since then. The 2023/24 figures have not yet been approved for publishing by the regulator.
Uisce Éireann also said it established a free text-based outage notification service which provides water supply information to customers who sign up.
In data provided to The Journal Investigates by Uisce Éireann, of the 166 complaints received in the first half of 2024, 51% of people were satisfied with the outcome, while 42% were not. The rest of the complaints made between January and June 2024 are either still in progress or were resolved through “good will”.
Some 39 complaints were from customers who reported becoming ill from consuming their water. In a statement, Uisce Éireann said this “does not represent actual proven illnesses caused by drinking water”.
Of the remainder, 66 complaints were related to outages and all others were to do with water quality, including discolouration.
Nearly one third of all complaints submitted to Uisce Éireann by individuals were from Cork, and around 10% of emails from Oireachtas members come from representatives of the county.
Trade union Unite recently sent water samples from Cork City and surrounding areas to a HSE laboratory for testing.
They say the tests showed excessive levels of manganese at over 300 μg/l and iron at over 600 μg/l. The laboratory said that “water with these levels of iron and manganese is not suitable for human consumption” and said that “treatment is recommended”.
John Ó Ríordáin, who lives in Ballyvolane in Cork City, has had dirty water at least once per week since his area became connected to the city’s water supply in 2022. He said he’s logged around 30 complaints, but each time he receives one of two responses “word for word”.
“I’d much prefer if someone just came straight out and said the pipes are fucked and will be for the next eight years until we can replace them,” Ó Ríordáin said.
“At least then I would know if I need to invest in higher quality filters.”
Ó Ríordáin also says he can’t run the dishwasher or washing machine at the same time as the shower, or the water will go brown.
He has not received a payout, and was not aware of the compensation scheme.
In Cork, there are extensive problems with the water pipes, and it’s understood that an overhaul of the system is what’s needed to permanently improve water quality. Uisce Éireann has recently flushed the pipes, but some say it’s made little difference
Ó Ríordáin is considering buying a €400 reverse osmosis filter. He says that while he doesn’t expect Uisce Éireann to pay for it, he thinks a government fund, similar to grants for energy efficient home upgrades, should be established for people living in areas with poor water quality.
Mattie McGrath TD, who sent the most emails of any Oireachtas member to Uisce Éireann last year, said some of his constituents in Tipperary South go “weeks” at a time without clean water, but dealing with Uisce Éireann is “very frustrating”. “You’ll get a response, but it’s just useless.”
He says he believed he had arranged a meeting with a representative from Uisce Éireann at one point, but right before it they “went off the radar” and “wouldn’t answer the phones”.
“You can’t deal with them.”
Despite the large volume of complaints they are making, representatives at a local and national level feel they are not being heard.
In Cork City, the council has requested a meeting with Uisce Éireann’s CEO Niall Gleeson multiple times, but he has repeatedly refused.
In a response to the council, seen by The Journal Investigates, Uisce Éireann said it was “not in a position” to send any representative to a meeting.
Councillor Shane O’Callaghan says it shows “a total lack of respect”.
O’Callaghan said he doesn’t understand why people like the CEO of the National Transport Authority and the Garda Commissioner will come before the council “no problem” but the head of Uisce Éireann won’t.
“They should be accountable to the people of Cork and the people of Ireland,” he told The Journal Investigates.
IRISH WATER UPDATE: Last September, Cork City Council passed my motion and lodged a formal complaint with the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) regarding the consistent failure by the management of Uisce Éireann to tackle the persistent problems of water… pic.twitter.com/jM4pWjCW3j
— Shane O'Callaghan (@CllrShaneOC) February 28, 2025
Cork City Council made a complaint to the CRU about Uisce Éireann’s unwillingness to cooperate. In its response, the CRU said the attendance of Uisce Éireann representatives at council meetings is not a matter for the CRU, but it did note five briefings Uisce Éireann held for Oireachtas and council members in 2024.
Uisce Éireann said: “Recognising the significance of the issue of water quality in Cork City to elected representatives, Uisce Éireann commenced a series of dedicated briefings last year and have held a number of engagements to date that have been attended by senior management from Uisce Éireann.”
It was to meet with the council at the end of February, but this was postponed for a month, as Uisce Éireann now says it wants to meet first with the council executive only.
If your water supply has been disrupted and you weren’t given a plan within the timeframe, you can make a compensation claim by emailing customerservice@water.ie
And let us know how you got on by writing to investigates@thejournal.ie
*Name has been changed
Reporter: Mairead Maguire • Investigation Editor: Christine Bohan • The Journal Investigates Editor: Maria Delaney • Main Image Design: Lorcan O’Reilly • Video: Nicky Ryan
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