On 12th June 2007 the European Communities (Drinking Water) (No. 2) Regulations 2007, (S.I. No. 278 of 2007) came into operation as the primary legislation covering drinking water in Ireland. These regulations prescribe quality standards to be applied and related supervision and enforcement procedures in relation to supplies of drinking water, including requirements as to sampling frequency, methods of analysis, the provision of information to consumers and related matters. The Regulations update and replace the European Communities (Drinking Water) Regulations of 2000 (S.I. No. 439 of 2000), and the European Communities (Drinking Water) Regulations of 2007 (S.I. No. 106 of 2007).
It is the duty of a sanitary authority to take the necessary measures to ensure that water intended for human consumption is wholesome and clean and meets the requirements of these Regulations. Dublin City Council is the sanitary Authority for Dublin City.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the regulatory body charged with monitoring and reporting on compliance levels on matters of water quality in Ireland. They assess the wholesomeness of drinking water, and undertake technical audits of water suppliers to examine all aspects of water quality, treatment and monitoring. The most recent Quality of Drinking Water in Ireland is available to download on the EPA website.
There are standards for over fifty parameters that are monitored to determine the microbiological, chemical and aesthetic qualities of drinking water.
Results from water samples collected at our treatment works, service reservoirs and customer taps are compared to these quality standards.