The hated utility has reported encountering lead contamination levels up to 80 times the legal limit in Dublin drinking water.
20 homes in the capital have been identified as having a contaminated water supply, with lead levels ranging from 5 to 80 times the legal limit set by the European Union.
Lead ingestion can affect brain development, with young children, infants and “babies in the womb” most at risk, according to the HSE and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Consumption of this heavy metal can also harm kidneys, contribute to high blood pressure and has been linked to cancer.
It is understood that the drinking water supply does not contain lead when the water leaves the treatment plant, as all lead was removed from water mains. However, lead was used for an extended period of time in “service connections”, i.e., the pipes running from the public mains to houses. Lead was also utilized in home plumbing up to the mid 70s.
14 of the affected houses were in Raheny had the highest levels, with tests on one home on Watermill Drive showing levels of 825 micrograms per litre. The second highest reading was taken in Vernon Grove, Clontarf, at 123 micrograms per litre.
The rest of the houses in the dubious “top five” were all located in Raheny, and the sixth highest reading was taken in Ranelagh, where levels of 97 micrograms were recorded in Chelmsford Road.