Episode 5 of the Uisce Matters Podcast

Ireland’s drinking water is of a consistently high quality — but ensuring it stays that way relies on rigorous monitoring, science and regulation.

In this episode of Uisce Matters, host Orlaith Blaney speaks with Dr Pat O’Sullivan, Drinking Water Compliance Senior Manager at Uisce Éireann Irish Water, about the substances that can make their way into water systems, from everyday household chemicals, to narcotics, to emerging industrial compounds. Pat explains how modern lifestyles influence what shows up in wastewater and source waters — and how those substances are assessed long before water reaches the tap.

The conversation explores how monitoring works in practice, why some headlines can sound alarming without the full context, and how public health risk is evaluated using robust science.

He also discusses specific issues people often worry about in their own homes, including lead in older plumbing, and emerging concerns like PFAS — outlining what is currently known, what is being monitored, and how regulation continues to evolve. At its core, this episode is about transparency, trust and reassurance — and how science, monitoring and regulation work together to protect the quality of our drinking water.