30% of water to still leak in 2027

A third of water will still leak out of broken pipes, 40,000 people will still have lead- contaminated drinking water, and 75% of homes facing sewage overflows during floods will still suffer the problem in a decade — despite the creation of Irish Water.

The situation was outlined in its 25-year infrastructure development plan signed off by Cabinet yesterday. The 120-page final blueprint for Ireland’s water servicesis based on a previous report put out for public consultation in February, outlining reforms by 2021 and 2040, which has now been added to by 2027 midway targets.

However, despite backing up an ongoing Government PR campaign showing why water charges are needed, the report also highlights how a considerable section of the population will not benefit for decades.