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By April Day, Publishing Consultant at Save the Water™ | August 21, 2026
Edited by Joshua Awolaye, Publishing Associate: Editor at Save the Water™
Firefighters fought flames for hours starting in the middle of the night in July 2026 in Connemara, Galway. After the firefighters put out the flames, burnt out local businesses lay destroyed. Then, the community received word to not use the local water supply. Also, chemicals had contaminated the Connemara water.
In the middle of the night on July 9, 2026, a fire burned in scenic Recess, located in Connemara, Galway. The fire was very serious and required several firefighter teams to put it out. The firefighters efforts saved a neighboring home. But the fire destroyed businesses.
On top of this, Glendollagh Lake sustained a discharge of contaminated water.
Like wildfires in Canada hurt water quality, the local fire hurt local quality in Connemara water.
Some Connemara residents rely on Glendollagh Lake for their Connemara water supply. These local residents received a warning notice: do not use the water. The government made clear that the people were not being asked to boil water. Boiling the water would not help reduce the possible harm.
The communities impacted were using water from the following:
Connemara Water in 2026
This fire tragedy occurred during a summer that was very hot in Connemara. Connemara residents in another area had to observe night time restrictions on water use. Many tourists like to visit Connemara, which is good. But the hot weather and increased seasonal population put demands on the water during the day.
Also during the heatwave, Galway County Council issued a “do not swim” notice for a beach in Renyvale. Renyvale is in another part of Connemara.
Officials found high levels of bacteria in parts of the Connemara water. Later, the government tested the Connemara water again. The test results showed the water was safe for swimming again.
Private Water Supplies
In recent years, community groups and the Irish government have worked to ensure private water supplies are safe to drink. In July 2026, the Irish Environmental Protection Agency released a report assessing the safety of private water sources.
Only private water sources registered with local authorities are regularly inspected and tested for safety. Many rural areas rely on private water supplies for drinking water, including at schools.
Now, owners of private water supplies don’t have to register with local authorities. Some at the Irish EPA believe that owners should register anyway. There is talk of changing laws so that private water suppliers must register with local authorities. This would ensure water to businesses is safe for drinking.
The lack of registration could expose people using private water supplies to unsafe pollutant levels. These harmful substances may include forever chemicals, also known as PFAS.
Save the Water™ is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to conduct research to identify and remove harmful contaminants in water and to raise public awareness about water contamination and its health impacts.
