Drinking water report shows persistent toxin in public supplies

The number of people served by “at risk” public water supplies increased again in 2023 to 561,000, up from 481,000 in 2022, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s annual report on drinking water.One in 20 supplies failed to meet the THM standard in 2023, affecting 300,000 people, up from 235,000 in 2022 — an issue repeatedly highlighted by the EU as the chemical, which can arise as a byproduct of disinfection, has been linked in some studies to cancer.

THMs can form when organic matter present in drinking water reacts with chlorine. Some studies have suggested a link between cancer and long-term exposure to THMs and also that THMs can affect reproduction. There is some evidence that THMs cause cancer in animals, and as a result, they are classified as “possibly carcinogenic” to humans.

While “the quality of drinking water from public supplies remains very high, with over 99.7 per cent of samples compliant with bacterial and chemical limits”, the resilience of supplies must improve and will require sustained investment into the future, according to the EPA.

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