Funding available for private well and septic tank grants

Funding has been announced to support works on group water schemes, group sewerage schemes and grants for private wells and septic tanks.

Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy committed the funding under the Multi-annual Rural Water Programme earlier today (Friday, September 21).

In total, €20 million has been allocated for 2018 and its purpose is to support water services in rural Ireland.

Announcing the funding, Minister Murphy said: “High-quality sustainable water services are a fundamental necessity to our lives and do not distinguish between rural or urban areas.

“This is why the Government continues to prioritise funding for the group water sector in parallel with the overall funding for water services generally.

“Throughout the length and breadth of rural Ireland, infrastructural investment in water services is needed and is being provided by this Government.”

Where’s the funding aimed?

The funding is aimed at the improvement of water quality in existing group water schemes and the upgrading and water conservation works in group water scheme distribution networks.

It will support new schemes to enable rural households to have a supply of good-quality, piped water for the first time.

Funding is also being provided towards group sewerage schemes. The Rural Water Programme is made up of six different measures and the funding announced today is broken down across a series of initiatives.

Breakdown of funding:

€4.33 million has been committed to water treatment improvements for the group water sector. These improvements are associated with environmental and public health compliance;
€5.6 million was allocated to dealing with the enhancement of group water schemes. This funding is provided to local authorities in the form of a block grant;
€892,000 was committed to rural development;
To support the transition of group water schemes to the public water and waste water sector, €1.57 million was allocated;
€14,000 was made available to innovation and research projects;
€3.5 million committed to funding for private wells and septic tanks;
Administration costs will amount to €550,000;
€3.544 million was earmarked as a reserve to fund projects in 2018 that were approved under the programme and that have not been initiated to facilitate their future progress.