UISCE ÉIREANN HAS welcomed the removal of over 25,000 customers from the Environmental Protection Agency’s “at risk” Remedial Action List.

However, over 540,000 people still remain on “at risk” water supplies.

The EPA’s Remedial Action List (RAL) identifies water supplies which require further upgrades in order to ensure full compliance with drinking water standards now and into the future. 

Uisce Éireann said the presence of a supply on the RAL does not mean the water is unsafe to drink.

It added that drinking water supplied by water treatment plants on this list is generally safe to drink, with the exception of those supplies which have current restriction notices in place.

The RAL was last updated in February, and since then, eight water supplies serving 25,763 people have been removed from this list.

The eight supplies removed from the list are: 

• Corofin Co. Clare
• Killavullen Co. Cork
• Fermoy Co. Cork
• Kilkenny City (Radestown) Co. Kilkenny
• Glengar Co. Tipperary
• Graiguenageeha Co. Waterford
• Aughrim/ Annacurra Co. Wicklow
• Ballymorris Co. Wicklow

Meanwhile, one water supply zone has been added to the list – Adare in Co Limerick.

In all, the RAL now contains 50 water supplies serving 540,687 people.

Uisce Éireann said a “detailed plan of action is being prepared to implement all necessary improvement measures as quickly as possible” the supplies on the RAL.

Dr Patrick O’Sullivan, Uisce Éireann’s Drinking Water Compliance Senior Manager, said a “robust testing and monitoring regime” is in place to “ensure that any existing risks can be found and remedied”. 

He added that Ireland has 702 water treatment plants, producing 1.7 billion litres of drinking water every day, and that the “vast majority of this water – 99.7% – is fully compliant with microbiological and chemical standards and is safe to drink.” 

O’Sullivan continued: “We know that some of our water treatment plants need additional investment and we are working hard to bring all these plants fully up to modern standards. 

“This can be a challenge in some areas due to the age of the infrastructure and decades of under-investment.

“However by implementing world-class standard standards for testing and monitoring, as well as day-to-day operational oversight, we are making excellent progress and continuing to improve overall drinking water standards for all our customers nationwide.”