Dr. Michelle Minihan:

I might come in there and address the first of those queries for Deputy Duffy. The Deputy made reference to 2007. The cryptosporidium outbreak in Galway in 2007 was what brought about the introduction of the EPA's remedial action list. At the time, in 2008, at its birth, there were 300 plus water supplies on the remedial action list. Over time, the number has reduced significantly. That is obviously a measure of the progress that has been made. There were 141 sites on the remedial action list when Irish Water came into being in 2014 and we have seen that list gradually reduce over time. At the end of 2020, there were 46 supplies on our remedial action list. At our most recently quarter update at the end of July 2021, that number had climbed somewhat to 53 water supplies. Therefore, there is a slight movement upwards of the numbers on our remedial action list.

On how the cryptosporidium gets into our water supplies, it is important to understand that 80% of our drinking water sources are well water sources or surface waters, such as rivers and lakes. Those rivers and lakes are open to exposure from either animal or human waste and can become contaminated with parasites such as cryptosporidium and giardia that can make people ill. What is important is that the water treatment plant recognises the level of contamination and is appropriately equipped to deal with the contamination in the well water so that it has a treatment process in place that is controlled and verifiable either to remove or inactivate the cryptosporidium or giardia that can make people ill. That covers off that bit.