# Water
This year
2023
Over half of Ireland's waste water discharges still aren't meeting EU standards
The EPA released its Urban Waste Water Treatment in 2022 report today.
EPA says 'urgent action' is needed to improve quality of drinking water from private supplies
The EPA said urgent action is required to improve the standards.
Uisce Éireann donates treatment plant to Ukraine that can supply water for 6,200 people daily
The water utility company donated two containerised water treatment plants to the country last year and is now sending another.
Nearly 500,000 people receive drinking water from 'at-risk' public supplies
The quality of drinking water in Ireland is very high overall but there are several issues for Uisce Éireann to address, says the EPA.
Department of Agriculture pressured EPA not to release list of farms pumping from rivers
The list, which the EPA has refused to release, also contains information on data centres and quarries.
A Social Democrats TD said they were concerned if the Department of Agriculture was 'stymieing' environmental work.
The claim appeared in a ruling in which a decision by the EPA to withhold its water abstraction register for 1,223 locations across the country was overturned.
All locations are abstraction points where water is removed as part of activities related to farming, quarries, data centres and some semi-State bodies.
Debunked: WEF hasn’t declared ‘water is not a human right’ or ordered governments to ration it
The World Economic Forum is a regular target of misinformation.
Extract: 'There is a legend that all the Irish rivers were created by a single hailstorm'
Ecologist and author, Richard Nairn shares an excerpt from his new book Wild Waters.
Burst mains may cause low water pressure or outages in north Dublin
Uisce Éireann said repairs should be completed by 6am tomorrow.
Water cut off for 350,000 in north Dublin today as new pipeline comes on stream
The disruption will start to ease from 11am, though it could take another 10 hours in some areas for water to return.
Water to be disrupted for 350,000 in north Dublin on Sunday as new pipeline is hooked up
A new pipeline is being connected to work alongside a crucial existing pipe that dates back to the 1960s.
Last year
2022
Eight glasses of water per day may be too much, scientists conclude
Researchers at the University of Aberdeen estimate humans only really need around 1.5 to 1.8 litres per day.
Water outages in north Dublin expected to continue until this evening
Irish Water and Fingal County Council are working to repair a burst water mains.
Irish Water investigates reports of 'earthy' drinking water in Dublin and Wicklow
The utility company said the water is safe to drink.
Mississippi declares emergency for state capital as 180k without drinking water
‘The city cannot produce enough water to fight fires, to reliably flush toilets and to meet other critical needs,’ the state governor said.
West Cork hosepipe ban comes into effect for four weeks
Since midnight, people are not allowed to use their water supply for garden hoses or other non-essential uses
Concerns raised about length of boil water notices and customer complaints at Irish Water
The Water Advisory Board said that 20 out of the 21 boil water notices in place at the end of March were long-term.
Irish Water reminds people to conserve water as hot spell continues and supply runs low
Overnight restrictions are in place in parts of West Cork, Kerry and Galway.
Poll: Have you reduced your water usage recently?
Europe is grappling with water shortages in baking heat.
More than half of all Irish households admit to wasting water – study
Irish Water commissioned the research as it launches a new tool to help households save water.
One in twenty private water supplies were contaminated with E. coli in 2020, EPA says
An Environmental Protection Agency report said the quality of drinking water from private supplies is “not as good as it should be”.
The agency said 20 of the 380 private group schemes, which serve more than 2,900 people, failed to meet the standard relating to E. coli bacteria.
Twenty-two private group schemes also failed to meet the standard for Trihalomethanes (THM).
Over a quarter of small private supplies, serving food businesses, nursing homes, crèches and B&Bs, were not monitored at all in 2020.
All time
Over 40,000 people affected by boil water notice in Wexford
The towns of Wexford, Gorey and Enniscorthy have been affected.
Poll: Are you making an effort to conserve water during this heat wave?
Irish Water has appealed to members of the public in numerous counties to reduce their water usage.
Urgent appeals for water conservation made in several counties
Irish Water said the public should conserve water while temperatures increase.
Irish Water to introduce water restrictions in parts of Dublin following high demand
Residents in north county Dublin may experience low water pressure or outages today.
Taoiseach: 'Water charges will not be coming back'
The OECD has suggested the government reconsider the issue of domestic water charges.
People in Dublin asked to conserve water and check for leaks ahead of sub-zero temperatures
Irish Water experienced a higher than normal volume of bursts during the cold snap earlier this month.
People in Dublin asked to conserve water and check for leaks following recent cold snap
Irish Water said there has been a spike in demand in recent days due to sub-zero temperatures.
'Low levels' of natural substance caused strange taste and smell in Dublin drinking water last month
There were over 450 reports of an unnatural odour or taste coming off water in August.
Irish Water investigating reports that drinking water in parts of Dublin has a strange taste or smell
Irish Water has insisted that the water is safe to drink, but is investigating reports.
Irish Water to lift hosepipe ban at 5pm this evening following recent heavy rainfall
The ban was expected to remain in place until 21 July.
Irish Water reviewing hosepipe ban after recent heavy rainfall
The ban was due to remain in place until 21 July.
Poll: Have you reduced the amount of water you use on a daily basis?
A hosepipe ban is in place for the coming weeks.
Did your local beach get a Blue Flag this year? The list has been announced
Donegal had the most Blue Flags this year.
Poll: Have you curbed your water use after the hosepipe ban warnings?
Irish Water has been urging people to conserve water.
People told to not leave tap running or flush wipes down the toilet amid Covid-19 crisis
Irish Water has also advised businesses to make sure there is “no unnecessary use of water” .
Bacteria and turbidity: Young Scientists develop solution to monitoring private wells
Currently, the EPA recommends that wells are tested once a year, but there is no legal requirement to do so.
Irish Water appeals for people in Dublin area to conserve water over Christmas as demand peaks
Demand for water in greater Dublin is 10 million litres a day higher than last year, Irish Water said.
Boil water notice in place for 9,500 people in Cork
The notice is in place for the area supplied by the Whitegate Public Water Supply.
Roads affected by burst water main in Cork city will be closed for 'at least' one or two days
The water main burst earlier today in the northside of the city.
