Irish Water plans to cut lead in supply from older pipes

Irish Water has launched an eight-week consultation period on its draft plan to reduce lead in drinking water as more than 180,000 homes still have the older pipes, which have been linked to health problems.

The Lead in Drinking Water Mitigation Plan includes more widespread sampling — already underway. The sampling is used to inform people of the health risks of lead in drinking water and prioritise action taken by Irish Water.

Irish Water is now testing 35,000 random samples of water quality annually, compared with 3,000 previously.