Context

Ireland's national water leakage rate stood at 38% in 2024 — meaning over a third of treated water is lost before reaching customers, among the highest rates in Europe, a legacy of chronic underinvestment in water mains before Uisce Éireann (formerly Irish Water) was established in 2013. The utility has made steady progress reducing leakage through active leak detection and mains replacement, saving a cumulative 1,408 megalitres per day since 2020. Separately, 17,465 person-days were affected by boil water notices lasting more than 30 days in 2024, and the number of water schemes on the EPA's Remedial Action List — supplies with known quality deficiencies — fell from 58 in 2022 to 45 in 2024.