Leakage Reduction Programme
We are undertaking a national programme of works to reduce leakage and improve our water supply.
Transforming Water Services Now
Water is one of our most valuable resources. Ireland’s water network has served us reasonably well, but it now faces serious challenges.
Irish Water Business plan
To transform our water services, Irish Water, guided by its parent Ervia, has developed a seven year Business Plan with the overriding objective of delivering a quality service to customers.
Water Services Strategic Plan
The Water Services Strategic Plan is Ireland’s first integrated national plan for the delivery of a transformed water and wastewater network meaning better water quality and safer wastewater treatment.
Leakage Reduction Programme
We are undertaking a national programme of works to reduce leakage and improve our water supply. This programme will see over €500 million invested in the public water network over the next four years.
Lead in drinking water
Irish Water is working hard to improve the quality and supply of our water including tackling national issues like the impact of lead pipes on drinking water.
Irish Water’s key metrics summary
| METRIC | 2015 | 2021 | |
| Drinking Water Quality | Schemes on EPA remedial action list | 121 | 0 |
| No. of customers on boil water notice | 23,297 | 0 | |
| Lead shared service pipes | 30,000 - 40,000 | 0 | |
| Individual lead pipes | 140,000 | 50,000 | |
| Drinking Water Capacity | Headroom capacity in Greater Dublin and Mid-eastern region | 2% | > 15% |
| Plants with capacity headroom < 15% | 45-49% | 30% | |
| Infrastructure | Network Leakage | 49% | < 38% |
| Wastewater Qualiy | Discharge with no treatment or preliminary treatment only |
44 | 0 |
| Discharge with no treatment or preliminary treatment only from large urban areas |
7 | 0 | |
| Agglomerations not meeting requirements on secondary treatment of discharges (EPA 2013 List) | 43 | 0 | |
| Larger Agglomerations not meeting requirements on more stringent treatment of discharges (EPA 2013 List) | 10 | 0 | |
| Wastewater Capacity | Plants overloaded > 2,000 PE (EPA 2013 List) | 36 | 0 |
| Plants overloaded < 2,000 PE (EPA 2013 List) | 120 | < 60 | |
| Financial | EBITDA | €38m | €363 |
| FFO/Net Debt | 0.2% | 9.5% | |
| Gearing | 90% | 63% | |
| Interest Cover | 0.9 | 3.0 | |
| Customer Service | Call answering - 80% answered in < than 20 seconds | 60% | 80% |
| Fewer than 5% calls abandoned | 20% | 5% | |
| Safety | Lost time accidents per 100,000 man hours | not available | 0.5 |