Unsafe drinking water questions State’s ability to provide basic services

300,000 Irish homes are set to be notified of cancer-linked toxins in their drinking water, after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said supplies covering 15 counties have trihalomethanes (THMs) levels in breach of regulations.

But the EPA only instructed Uisce Éireann to inform the households of the “excessive levels of a toxin linked to cancer” after they were threatened with a legal action by Friends of the Irish  Environment (FIE).  This is pretty astonishing. 

THMs are chemical compounds which may be found in water treated with chlorine at treatment plants.The HSE has acknowledged that some water supplies have reported levels of THMs which are higher than the recommended levels.

The Health Service further states: “Some studies suggest a link between long term exposure to THMs (i.e. many years) and cancer and reproductive effects but the evidence is not conclusive, adding “THMs are classified as ‘possibly carcinogenic’ to humans.”

The HSE has also pointed to a number of studies suggesting that “very long-term exposure” (35 years or more) to high levels of the chemicals “may be linked to a slightly increased risk of some types of cancer in humans, in particular bladder and colon cancer.”

“Study findings on risks of miscarriage and low birth weight, associated with drinking water containing THMs, are inconsistent,” it adds.

One particular study from 2020 found that exposure to chemicals found in drinking water after it had been disinfected with chlorine could be responsible for up to 1 in 20 cases of bladder cancer across the EU – with the number rising as high as 1 in 5 in some countries. 

“Trihalomethanes (THMs) are one of the most common disinfection by-products (DBPs) found in drinking water after chlorination,” the study stated.

“They have been associated in particular with an increased risk for bladder cancer; one meta-analysis suggests that exposure to THMs could increase the risk for the disease by more than 50%,” it adds.

The EPA has now published a list of areas impacted – including locations in Carlow, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Donegal, Galway, Kilkenny, Kildare, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, and Wicklow.

In January, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that Ireland had failed to protect drinking water from the toxic chemicals which have been linked in some studies to cancer – ruling that we had fallen short of obligations to remove THMs from both public and private water supplies. In other words, Ireland was convicted of having toxins in our drinking water above that of EU safety levels.

FIE – a non-profit which seeks to ensure that European law that protects the environment is implemented, has demanded that the EPA inform the public, with the ECJ’s ruling triggering a threat of legal action from the environmental group.   

The group, which has been a voice on the issue since 2009, said their initial requests for investigation and their concerns about the lack of public information went unaddressed by the Irish authorities.

Consequently, FIE took their fight to the European Commission in 2011, highlighting the potential health hazards and the need for public awareness on the issue. After the complaint was closed in 2014, FIE persisted, and brought their case to the European Ombudsman in 2015 who also deferred to Ireland’s position.

It took until 2018 before their efforts succeeded, when the European Commission launched an infringement case against Ireland, acknowledging concerns about THM exceedances and the clear lack of communication with the public.

This culminated in the landmark ECJ ruling in January this year, which declared exceeding THM parameters a potential public health risk, subsequently triggering the legal obligation to inform Irish consumers as to what measures they could take to protect themselves, such as installing charcoal filters on their taps. The group has stressed that informing the public is crucial not only for future protection but potentially for addressing existing health concerns created by THMs.

The ECJ found that Ireland had failed to meet its obligations under the EU directive on safe drinking water since at least 2012. In the wake of the pivotal ruling, FIE said the case highlighted the role of advocacy and the role of citizens groups regarding the state be held accountable and transparent. 

While the EPAs programme manager, Noel Byrne, has said that “actions are needed” to bring about a resolution to the problem, a spokesperson for the utility firm pointed out that no “do not drink” public health notices have ever been issued due to the elevated levels of the chemicals in Irish drinking water supplies.

We have a government which seems keen to create an unnecessary level of anxiety about climate change.  Every summer, we are subject to a great deal of alarm about the heat, due to the climate zealotry which is alive and well in our media and amongst our leading politicians. Yet for all of the hefty demands made in relation to our climate – including sacrificing 200,000 cattle on the altar of climate change under EU plans – the State has failed spectacularly when it comes to providing the most basic thing, clean water.