Issues Arising from The Quality of Drinking Water In Ireland

Report

Brendan Wall

Senior Inspector

Environmental Protection Agency

Outline of Presentation

• Overview of RegulationsOverview of Regulations

• Summary of the Quality of Drinking Summary of the Quality of Drinking Water in IrelandWater in Ireland

• Monitoring DeficienciesMonitoring Deficiencies

• Quality IssuesQuality Issues

• Corrective ActionCorrective Action

• RecommendationsRecommendations

European Communities (Drinking Water) Regulations, 2000

• Regs set Parametric Values for 2 Microbiological, 26 Regs set Parametric Values for 2 Microbiological, 26 Chemical and 20 Indicator parametersChemical and 20 Indicator parameters

• Focus in on human health and corrective action to be Focus in on human health and corrective action to be taken in the event of a non-compliancetaken in the event of a non-compliance

• Microbiological and Chemical standards must be Microbiological and Chemical standards must be adhered to.adhered to.

• Indicator standard should be adhered to but corrective Indicator standard should be adhered to but corrective action to be taken in the event of failure is related to action to be taken in the event of failure is related to the health implications of the non-compliance the health implications of the non-compliance

Monitoring• Two monitoring categories: Check and AuditTwo monitoring categories: Check and Audit

• Check: to check micro and organoleptic quality and Check: to check micro and organoleptic quality and effectiveness of treatmenteffectiveness of treatment

• Audit: to determine whether all of the standards are being Audit: to determine whether all of the standards are being complied withcomplied with

• Frequency of monitoring is dependent on the size (volume Frequency of monitoring is dependent on the size (volume supplied) of the supplysupplied) of the supply

• Monitoring must be done at the tapMonitoring must be done at the tap

MonitoringSerious monitoring deficiencySerious monitoring deficiency• 26%26% of public Group Water Schemes and of public Group Water Schemes and 10%10% of of

private Group Water Schemes not monitoredprivate Group Water Schemes not monitored• Insufficient no.s of check and audit samples at a large Insufficient no.s of check and audit samples at a large

number of public water supplies number of public water supplies • 3030 LAs did not identify private supplies covered by the LAs did not identify private supplies covered by the

RegsRegs• Most sanitary authorities did not analyse all the Most sanitary authorities did not analyse all the

parameters required by the Regs parameters required by the Regs • Only Only 88 LAs met the monitoring requirements of the LAs met the monitoring requirements of the

Regs for Public WSs and Group WSsRegs for Public WSs and Group WSs

Overall Quality

Microbiological Quality

Microbiological Quality

Notes:1. Most Public WSs with E. coli were small Public WS

(99.4% of samples analysed in supplies serving >5,000 persons complied

2. The majority of E. coli non-compliances in PWSs were one off incidents and were moderate.

Microbiological Issues

Summary of Main Issues:1. A high proportion of private group water schemes were

contaminated2. A significant number of public water supplies showed

intermittent contamination3. Insufficient data to determine the quality of the private

water supplies (that have a public or commercial activity on them)

Chemical Quality

Chemical Quality

100% compliance for 11 chemical parameters.100% compliance for 11 chemical parameters.

Compliance >99% for all chemical paramters except:Compliance >99% for all chemical paramters except:

•Bromate – 97.2%Bromate – 97.2%•Fluoride – 96.1%Fluoride – 96.1%•Lead – 98.3%Lead – 98.3%•Trihalomethanes – 96.7%Trihalomethanes – 96.7%

These are all of concern as all these parameters (except These are all of concern as all these parameters (except fluoride) will have more stringent standards in 2008 fluoride) will have more stringent standards in 2008 (bromate and trihalomethanes) and 2013 (lead)(bromate and trihalomethanes) and 2013 (lead)

Indicator Quality

Indicator Quality

• Compliance for indicator lower than microbiological Compliance for indicator lower than microbiological and chemical.and chemical.

• Implications of a non-compliance are less significant Implications of a non-compliance are less significant for indicator parametersfor indicator parameters

• Some important indicators eg aluminiumSome important indicators eg aluminium

• Work needed to improve compliance with these Work needed to improve compliance with these parametersparameters

Summary of Quality

• The quality of water supplied in the majority of public The quality of water supplied in the majority of public water supplies is satisfactory though some work on E. water supplies is satisfactory though some work on E. coli and some of chemicals necessarycoli and some of chemicals necessary

• The quality of water supplied in a large proportion of The quality of water supplied in a large proportion of private group water schemes is unsatisfactory and in private group water schemes is unsatisfactory and in many cases poor.many cases poor.

• There is insufficient monitoring of the There is insufficient monitoring of the private/commerical supplies to determine any private/commerical supplies to determine any meaningful trends.meaningful trends.

Corrective Actions

• Article 9 of Regs requires that every non-compliance is Article 9 of Regs requires that every non-compliance is investigated to determine its causeinvestigated to determine its cause

• Microbiological and Chemical non-compliances must Microbiological and Chemical non-compliances must be correctedbe corrected

• Inidicator non-compliances must be corrected where Inidicator non-compliances must be corrected where there is a danger to public health (directly or there is a danger to public health (directly or indirectly)indirectly)

• Corrective action programmes must be preparedCorrective action programmes must be prepared

Corrective Actions

• EPA audits indicate that numerous non-compliances EPA audits indicate that numerous non-compliances are not being fully investigatedare not being fully investigated

• Therefore corrective action is not being undertakenTherefore corrective action is not being undertaken

Recommendations: Monitoring

Sanitary authorities must:Sanitary authorities must:

• Review monitoring programmes to ensure minimum monitoring Review monitoring programmes to ensure minimum monitoring requirements are met (in terms of numbers of samples and requirements are met (in terms of numbers of samples and parameters analysed)parameters analysed)

• Utilise monitoring programme developed under the Drinking Utilise monitoring programme developed under the Drinking Water National Monitoring Programme – county specific disc Water National Monitoring Programme – county specific disc identifying monitoring requirements issued to local authoritiesidentifying monitoring requirements issued to local authorities

• Identify and monitor small private supplies that supply water as Identify and monitor small private supplies that supply water as part of a public or commercial activity (cf EPA Circular)part of a public or commercial activity (cf EPA Circular)

Recommendations: Quality

Sanitary authorities must:Sanitary authorities must:

• Develop a documented protocol for dealing with all Develop a documented protocol for dealing with all non-compliancesnon-compliances

• Investigate all non-compliancesInvestigate all non-compliances• Prepare corrective action programmes where non-Prepare corrective action programmes where non-

compliances existcompliances exist• Carry out Cryptosporidium risk assessments and act Carry out Cryptosporidium risk assessments and act

on resultson results

Recommendations: Quality

Specific Recommendations:Specific Recommendations:

• Install continuous chlorine residual monitor at all Install continuous chlorine residual monitor at all treatment plants linked to telemetry systemtreatment plants linked to telemetry system

• Assess and where appropriate add phosphate dosing to Assess and where appropriate add phosphate dosing to reduce plumbosolveny where it is an issuereduce plumbosolveny where it is an issue

• Examine methods of disinfection to ensure there are no Examine methods of disinfection to ensure there are no breaches of bromate or THM standard and consider breaches of bromate or THM standard and consider replacement of disinfectant where this is the problem.replacement of disinfectant where this is the problem.

Recommendations: GWSs

Sanitary authorities must:Sanitary authorities must:

• Notify group water schemes where there is a quality Notify group water schemes where there is a quality deficiency identified via montoringdeficiency identified via montoring

• Require the GWS to prepare a corrective action Require the GWS to prepare a corrective action programmeprogramme

• Utilise powers available to them under Article 14 where Utilise powers available to them under Article 14 where GWSs have quality deficiency and have not prepared GWSs have quality deficiency and have not prepared corrective action programmecorrective action programme

Further Information

““The Quality of Drinking Water in Ireland: A Report for the The Quality of Drinking Water in Ireland: A Report for the Year 2004” downloadable from:Year 2004” downloadable from:

www.epa.ie/NewsCentre/ReportsPublications/Water/DrinkingWaterReports/

Full monitoring results for 2004 available at:Full monitoring results for 2004 available at:www.epa.ie/OurEnvironment/Water/DrinkingWater/

European Communities (Drinking Water) Regulations: A European Communities (Drinking Water) Regulations: A Handbook on Implmentation for Sanitary Authorities Handbook on Implmentation for Sanitary Authorities available at above link also.available at above link also.