Residents of a Cork city suburb have been permitted to bring a High Court challenge over concerns arising from manganese levels in the city’s drinking water supply.
Elaine Eagar and Daniel O’Shea, both with addresses at Mount Farran, Assumption Road, are taking the action with Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE), claiming the basis on which Uisce Éireann and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declare water containing manganese safe to drink is mistaken.
Manganese is a naturally occurring metal found in rock and soil and the waters that flow through them. Trace amounts are needed for human health, but repeated consumption of high levels is linked to neurological conditions and developmental problems in infants and children.
FIE, Ms Eagar and Mr O’Shea, are seeking an order quashing the EPA’s purported decision to approve Uisce Éireann’s action plan aimed at remedying non-compliance with drinking water standards in Cork city.
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They claim the action plan does not deal adequately with manganese levels in the water.
In written evidence submitted to the court on behalf of Ms Eagar, Mr O’Shea and FIE, Prof Gabriel Scally, a professor of public health, claims repeated breaches in permitted levels of manganese in the city’s water supply represent a “potentially serious public health concern”.
This week, Ms Justice Emily Farrell granted permission to the applicants to bring the High Court challenge against the EPA, with Uisce Éireann and the HSE as notice parties.
According to the applicants’ court documents, the city’s issues with problematic manganese levels in its water supplies can be linked to the commencement in operations at a new water treatment plant.
The majority of Cork city’s water supply is provided via a water treatment plant on the city’s Lee Road. The Lee Road plant is a new facility – construction was completed on the development in July 2022.
However, the city’s water supply continues to rely on an old system of piping, dating back to the 1920s.
When the Lee Road plant commenced operations, treated water began reacting with iron and manganese sediment in the old pipework, according to the applicants.
Iron causes discolouration in water, as does manganese in certain circumstances.
Discolouration has occurred in the case of Cork city’s water supply on account of the presence of manganese and iron, leading to complaints to Uisce Éireann and the EPA.
An EPA investigation into Uisce Éireann’s non-compliance with water quality standards has been ongoing since August 2022 and remains open.
According to an EPA letter, dated July 28th last, Uisce Éireann reported addressing the need for improved water treatment to prevent manganese entering the city’s drinking water supply.
However, according to the applicants, Uisce Éireann did not address the build-up of manganese in the old pipes, or its ongoing presence in the city’s drinking water network.
The letter noted Uisce Éireann’s advice to run cold taps for up to 20 minutes to restore water to a clear colour, adding, “the water is safe to drink once running clear”.
The applicants do not accept this claim. “Water that is running clear may still be contaminated by manganese at unsafe levels. Water may also be partially clear and still be contaminated with manganese,” they say.
They argue that 61 recorded manganese exceedances between August 2024 and last July show Uisce Éireann is not adequately addressing the problem and that it is failing in its duty as a regulator by not requiring a stronger response.
They also claim that the public is not being adequately informed about the health risks associated with manganese.
