Thurles (Templetuohy Region) Named On EPA Drinking Water Remedial Action List Q4 Of 2025.
- Five areas in Co. Tipperary appear on Remedial Action List; Thurles (Templetuohy); Kilcash; GalteeRegion; Clonmel Poulavanogue; Carraig-On-Suir.
- The quality of drinking water from public supplies continues to be high, with 99.8% of samples compliant with standards.
- The EPA’s list of ‘at-risk’ supplies has decreased from 45 supplies in 2024 to 35 supplies in 2025, serving 467,000 people.
- The number of boil water notices and water restriction notices both increased during 2025, impacting almost 200,000 people.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today published its Drinking Water Quality in Public Supplies 2025 report, which shows that Ireland’s drinking water continues to meet high standards for over four million people. Compliance with microbiological limits reached 99.8%, while chemical standards were met in 99.7% of samples analysed, which means our public water is safe to drink.
Despite this good level of compliance, the EPA has identified a list of ‘at-risk’ supplies – the Remedial Action List (RAL) – where improvements are required to ensure a safe and secure drinking water supply for consumers. Ten ‘at-risk’ supplies were resolved during 2025, reflecting sustained progress by Uisce Éireann in upgrading their drinking water treatment infrastructure. However, 35 public water supplies still remain on the Remedial Action List at the end of 2025 and must be addressed as soon as possible.
Launching the report, Mr Patrick Byrne, EPA Director of the Office of Radiation Protection and Environmental Monitoring, said:
“Public drinking water quality remains high, so people can be confident that the water supplied to their homes is safe to drink. While the EPA welcomes the reduction in the number of ‘at-risk’ supplies, EPA audits and enforcement continue to identify supplies which cannot guarantee safe and secure drinking water. Uisce Éireann must allocate necessary resources to complete the required upgrades at ‘at-risk’ supplies to ensure drinking water remains safe and public health is protected into the future.”
Water restrictions must be imposed by Uisce Eireann to protect human health when they cannot provide safe drinking water due to contamination or inadequate treatment. In 2025, 100 supplies affecting almost 200,000 consumers were impacted by boil water notices or water restriction notices, an increase from 84 supplies in 2024. Uisce Éireann must improve treatment plant resilience to respond to changing weather conditions, raw water quality or malfunctions in the treatment process, so that water restrictions are not needed in the first place.
Regarding water restrictions on drinking water supplies, Mr Noel Byrne, EPA Programme Manager, said:
“It is worrying that almost 200,000 people were affected by water restrictions in 2025. While necessary to protect public health, they are a considerable inconvenience for consumers and point to a lack of resilience in water treatment. Uisce Éireann must make water treatment plants more robust, so they can withstand treatment challenges and continue to provide a safe water supply for consumers. Where restrictions are necessary, Uisce Éireann must respond quickly so that a compliant water supply is restored as soon as possible.”
The EPA’s report also highlights wider challenges across the supply network, including the level of leakage and the replacement of lead pipe work. Thirty six percent of treated water is lost daily through leakage, and people continue to be at risk from exposure to lead in drinking water due to lead in water pipes. More action is needed by Uisce Éireann and other stakeholders to address these issues in the supply network.
The EPA Drinking Water Quality in Public Supplies 2025 Report and the complete list of public water supplies currently ‘at risk’ (Remedial Action List) – including details of the remedial measures and associated time-frames – are available on the EPA website.
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