Uisce Éireann welcomes report detailing progress in delivery of safe drinking water in Mayo

Uisce Éireann has welcomed the latest Drinking Water Report published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which confirms that Mayo and Ireland’s public drinking water supplies continue to meet exceptionally high standards, with over 99.8% compliance with microbiological and chemical standards.

This achievement reflects sustained investment and operational improvements across the country. In 2025, Uisce Éireann invested over €1.4 billion in upgrading water and wastewater treatment plants and networks, enhancing resilience and safety for communities nationwide.

In 2025, delivery of key infrastructure projects in Mayo focused on improving water quality and delivering a more reliable water supply. This included the commencement of a major upgrade of the Lough Mask Water Treatment Plant in Tourmakeady, which will increase the capacity of the plant to serve an additional 20,000 people while providing homes and businesses across south Mayo with a more resilient and reliable water supply.

Eleanor Roche, Head of Environmental Regulation and Compliance with Uisce Éireann, stated: “We operate over 700 water treatment plants and are committed to delivering transformative water services that enable communities to thrive. The EPA’s report recognises our progress in monitoring, testing, and safeguarding water quality. Where risks are identified, we act swiftly – issuing temporary boil water notices or do not consume notices to protect public health.

“Boil water notices are an important public health measure, introduced where there is a risk that drinking water may not meet the required standards and lifted as soon as it is safe to do so. While enhanced monitoring, incident detection and escalation procedures can result in precautionary notices being issued earlier, they help to ensure public health remains protected at all times.”

The EPA reported a total of 66 boil water notices in place during 2025. This figure includes notices carried forward from previous years and property-specific notices. Uisce Éireann issued 46 boil water notices on public water supplies during 2025, nine of which were required following Storm Éowyn. Despite this exceptional weather event, 45 notices were lifted during the year, with almost three-quarters of those issued in 2025 resolved within 30 days.

By year-end, just six notices remained in place, affecting approximately 538 people, demonstrating continued progress in managing risk and restoring supplies as quickly as possible for customers.

Uisce Éireann also made strides in addressing risks identified on the EPA’s Remedial Action List (RAL). In 2025, works were completed at 10 supplies on the Remedial Action List to ensure they met the EPA standards. As a result, there were 35 supplies on the list at the end of 2025, down from 45 in 2024. Progress is expected to continue in 2026, with 14 of the remaining 35 supplies forecast to be either removed from the RAL or substantially complete and awaiting EPA validation by year end.

In addition, works were completed and commissioned at 10 sites under Uisce Éireann’s National Disinfection Programme during 2025, further strengthening drinking water treatment and public health protection.

Eleanor Roche added: “We are proud of the progress made, but we recognise that challenges remain. A key priority for Uisce Éireann is strengthening the resilience and security of our water supplies. Our dedicated Drinking Water Safety Plan team is proactively carrying out risk assessments across our water treatment plants, networks and associated assets to identify and mitigate potential risks.

“In parallel, our National Operations Management Centre is monitoring alarms at 643 water treatment plants covering a population of 4.4 million people. This represents a significant increase from 2025, when 517 water treatment plants serving around 3.8 million people were monitored.

“Initiatives such as these help protect public health by enabling the rapid identification and resolution of potential water quality issues. This forms part of our continued focus on both swift response and long-term preventative measures, ensuring safe, secure and resilient drinking water supplies while maintaining public confidence in the quality of Ireland’s drinking water.”