The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said that compliance with Escherichia coli (E.coli) standards is “not as good as it should be” in private water supplies.
The EPA has today (Tuesday, February 22) released the Drinking Water Quality in Private Group Schemes and Small Private Supplies 2020 report.
It shows that E.coli was detected in one in 20 private water supplies during that year.
“Drinking water contaminated with E. coli can cause serious gastrointestinal illness, so it is critical to have properly functioning disinfection systems,” the report stated.
22 private group schemes and two small, private supplies failed to meet the Trihalomethanes (THM) standard.
THM is a by-product of the chlorine disinfection process and is formed when there is an excess of organic matter in the water.
The EPA advises that THM levels are kept within the standards to avoid any possible health impacts from long-term exposure.
EPA report
Drinking water is provided by over 380 private group water schemes to around 200,000 people across rural communities.
Over 1,700 small private supplies in locations such as nursing homes; creches; national schools; hotels; and pubs provide water to service users, staff and customers.
During 2020, the EPA outlined E.coli was detected in 20 of the 380 private group schemes, which serve more than 2,900 people, and in 49 of the 1,225 small, private supplies.
“These failures, at one in 20 private water supplies, are of significant concern and put the health of the consumer at risk,” the EPA stated.
Commenting on the findings, Dr. Tom Ryan, director of the EPA’s office of environmental enforcement, said:
“Consumers should expect, as a minimum, that their water is safe to drink. However, compliance with the E.coli standard is not as good as it should be for water from private group water schemes and small private supplies.
“It is essential that works to improve water quality are carried out as soon as possible to eliminate the serious risks to people’s health. Water suppliers are obliged to make sure drinking water is clean and wholesome for consumers,” Ryan added.
The report shows that 95% of private group water schemes and 96% of small, private supplies complied with E.coli standards.
It also noted that over a quarter of small, private supplies were not monitored by local authorities.
Noel Byrne, programme manager of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement, explained that this was due, in many cases, to premises being closed due to Covid-19 restrictions.
“However, it is vitally important that local authorities ensure all water supplies are monitored annually to provide assurance to consumers that their drinking water is safe,” Byrne concluded.