16 May 2019
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Almost 3,000 people in Cork received good news earlier this month following the removal of three water supplies by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from their Remedial Action List (RAL). The latest report from the EPA shows that Irish Water has removed eight water supply zones in Co. Cork for the RAL since 2015, benefiting a population of over 20,000.
The RAL identifies drinking water supplies that are ‘at risk’ of failing to consistently supply safe, clean drinking water. The Adrigole, Crookhaven and Mogeely supplies have been given the thumbs up by the EPA following extensive investment and upgrade works by Irish Water working in partnership with Cork County Council.
In both Adrigole and Mogeely, the water treatment plants were upgraded and pressure filtration units and UV disinfection systems were installed. Prior to these improvements by Irish Water, there was inadequate treatment to prevent Cryptosporidium from entering the water supply.
In Crookhaven, Irish Water installed Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filters to stop Trihalomethanes (THMs) from entering the drinking water supply.
These upgrade works have removed the risk from Cryptosporidium in the Adrigole and Mogeely supplies and the risk from THMs in the Crookhaven supply and will ensure that the communities in these areas have a safe, secure, reliable water supply.
Irish Water’s Regional Compliance Specialist, Deirdre O’Loughlin said “The publication of the latest RAL by the EPA confirms that whilst improvements have been made in many areas, the scale of the challenge faced by Irish Water in ensuring the delivery of clean and safe water in Cork and throughout the country remains.”
“As a single national utility Irish Water has been able to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the performance of Ireland’s drinking water treatment plants and focus investment where the risk to our customers is highest. Nationally Irish Water has adopted a prioritised programme of works which will require an investment of €2 billion by 2021. Significant improvements are being achieved year on year by this approach right across the country.”
Irish Water is committed to addressing ensuring that all of its customers have safe, clean drinking water. It is working in partnership with Local Authorities to address the issues affecting the water supplies which remain on the RAL and to bring them to a standard where the EPA determines that they can be removed.
The RAL is updated quarterly by the EPA for those water supplies where investment in treatment processes is required. Irish Water has a prioritised programme of investment for all schemes on the RAL.
