With the threat of a no-deal Brexit looming, there are concerns that water treatment chemicals could become scarce in Ireland.
The Irish Independent reported that a hard Brexit could make it difficult for water suppliers to get hold of the chemicals they require to make drinking water clean and safe. The newspaper explained that some suppliers use the UK as a landbridge and are therefore stockpiling certain chemicals to ensure any disruption is kept to a minimum.
Irish Water said that 90 per cent of the chemicals needed are sourced directly from mainland Europe, with just ten per cent coming via the UK.
A spokesperson for Ervia, Irish Water’s parent company, said that all of the organisation’s suppliers who currently use the UK as a landbridge are looking for alternative options. “Stores will continue to be built over the coming weeks to ensure a minimal, if any, impact on water treatment,” they added.
The news provider also noted that there have been concerns over whether the UK can source enough water treatment chemicals in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Water goes through a range of treatment stages before it’s pumped into storage reservoirs and delivered to our homes through our taps. This includes a screening process to remove any large pieces of debris, as well as a filtration and disinfection process.
As well as Brexit, population growth and climate change are also issues facing the water treatment sector, WPL technical director Andrew Baird recently told the publication Water and Wastewater Treatment.
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