New drinking water standards to come into effect this month

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, has signed new Drinking Water Regulations to “protect human health by enhancing drinking water standards from source to tap and to ensure it is wholesome and clean.”

The standards come into effect this month.

The new drinking water regulations are directed towards water suppliers such as Uisce Éireann and group water schemes.

Relevant authorities, including the Environmental Protection Agency and Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, will oversee the activities of these water suppliers.

The new regulations, the European Union (Drinking Water) Regulations 2023, come into effect through the transposition of EU Directive 2020/2184 into Irish Legislation.

The regulations enhance existing requirements to protect human health by laying down detailed and clear directions regarding the management of water intended for human consumption and access to water, in particular for marginalised groups.

Minister O’Brien said: “Water is such a basic right and access to good quality drinking water is a key public service.

“These new regulations will add additional quality measures to continue to ensure that our drinking water remains wholesome and clean.

“Guided by an Expert Working Group of all relevant stakeholders providing professional advice, we have developed – and will now implement – regulations which will ensure we comply with EU standards and, crucially, provide high quality water supplies to the people of Ireland.”