Cork City residents submitted the highest number of complaints to Uisce Éireann claiming their tap water had made them ill, according to new figures revealing nearly 1,000 such complaints nationwide over the past two years.
Of the 973 total complaints received by the national water utility regarding water-related illnesses, 105 came from Cork City residents who believed they had become sick after consuming water from their household taps.
The data shows a significant concentration of water quality concerns in Cork compared to other regions across Ireland, though it’s unclear whether this represents actual differences in water quality or variations in reporting patterns among different communities.
Uisce Éireann, formerly Irish Water, is responsible for delivering water services to homes and businesses throughout Ireland, including monitoring and maintaining water quality standards according to national and European regulations.
Water quality complaints can range from concerns about visible contaminants or unusual odors to reports of gastrointestinal illnesses that consumers attribute to their drinking water. However, establishing direct links between tap water and health issues often requires comprehensive testing to determine whether water is truly the source of reported illnesses.
The figures raise questions about water infrastructure conditions, treatment processes, and monitoring systems in areas with higher complaint volumes, particularly in Cork City where the concentration of concerns appears most pronounced.
Public health officials typically investigate clusters of water-related illness complaints to determine if they indicate a systemic issue requiring intervention, such as boil water notices or infrastructure improvements.
Uisce Éireann has not yet commented on whether any of these complaints have been verified through testing or have led to confirmed contamination events across the affected areas.