Photo description: Water from a tap overflowing into a glass. Image by Ralf Ruppert from Pixabay

Overall compliance remains strong 

Ireland’s environmental protection agency (EPA) has published its drinking water quality in public supplies 2025 report, covering performance across the public water network managed by Uisce Éireann. Microbiological compliance reached 99.8% of samples tested, while chemical standards were met in 99.7% of samples, figures broadly comparable with the high compliance rates achieved across regulated water supplies in England, Scotland, and Wales. For over four million people, public water supply remains safe to drink. 

The Remedial Action List sees progress, but work remains 

The EPA maintains a Remedial Action List (RAL) identifying public water supplies where treatment or infrastructure deficiencies present a risk to the security of supply. In 2025, ten supplies were resolved and removed from the RAL, reflecting continued capital investment by Uisce Éireann. However, 35 supplies serving a combined population of 467,000 people remain on the list and require urgent remediation. The EPA has stated that Uisce Éireann must allocate sufficient resources to complete the necessary upgrades without further delay. 

Rising water restrictions serves as resilience warning 

Despite the headline compliance figures, the number of supplies subject to boil water notices or water restriction notices increased in 2025, rising from 84 supplies in 2024 to 100 supplies, collectively affecting close to 200,000 consumers. The EPA has attributed this trend to insufficient treatment plant resilience in responding to fluctuating raw water quality, extreme weather events, and process failures, factors that are directly relevant to the wider challenge of climate adaptation across the water sector. 

Persistent network challenges from leaks and lead

The report also draws attention to two longstanding infrastructure challenges. Leakage accounts for more than a third (36%) of all treated water lost daily across the distribution network, a figure that underscores the scale of investment required in asset maintenance and network rehabilitation. Additionally, lead pipework remains a public health concern in parts of the network, with the EPA calling on Uisce Éireann and other stakeholders to accelerate the pace of pipe replacement. 

The trade-off between headline compliance rates and underlying treatment resilience is a challenge common to all regulated water utilities, and the rising restriction notices despite strong compliance figures serves as a useful illustration of why resilience investment must keep pace with regulatory performance targets. The report also reinforces the importance of leakage reduction and lead pipe replacement programmes, both of which remain priorities under the AMP8 framework in England and Wales.