Water quality in private supplies such as private wells and group water schemes is “not as good” as public supplies according to the latest report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
There are over 370 group water schemes supplying drinking water to 190,000 people across rural communities in Ireland today.
In its latest report – ‘Drinking Water Quality in Private Group Schemes and Small Private Supplies – 2023’ – the EPA stated that one in 20 small private supplies and private group schemes failed to meet E. coli standards last year.
The number of private group schemes with E. coli failures increased from 13 supplies in 2022 to 22 supplies in 2023, impacting approximately 4,600 people.
E. coli failures were recorded in 71 small private supplies, that were monitored by local authorities, posing a risk to consumers that use these supplies.
The report also stated that only 1,665 small private supplies are registered with local authorities across the country.
The EPA stated that consumers may not be aware that they could be drinking water from an unmonitored supply, potentially putting their health at risk.
According to the EPA, €38.5 million of government funding that could have been invested in improvements to private supplies between 2019-2023 was not used.
Private water supplies
There are various systems of water supply assessed by the EPA.
Small Private Supplies (SPS) provide drinking water to the public through commercial and public activities.
Examples of SPS include hotels, B&Bs, schools, nursing homes, creches, as well as food and drink businesses.
This water is often sourced from a private well which may have little or no treatment. There are 1,665 SPS registered with local authorities but there are many more that have not registered, according to the EPA report.
Local Authority SPS registered Limerick City & County 40 Donegal 37 Westmeath 36 Offaly 32 Mayo 31 Clare 20 Waterford City & County 16 Longford 15 Monaghan 10 Roscommon 10 Louth 10 Sligo 9 Leitrim 1
SPS do not include private household wells. Household wells are exempt from drinking water regulation.
Private Group Schemes (PGS) are set up by community groups. PGS source, treat and distribute drinking water to their scheme members.
There are around 370 private group schemes serving over 190,000 people. The National Federation of Group Water Schemes (NFGWS) represents and works with the community-owned rural water services sector in Ireland.
The NFGWS assists both local authorities and group schemes to identify and address water quality issues and risks.
The EPA stated that local authorities have responsibility for ensuring that private drinking water supplies are monitored for compliance with drinking water standards.
The water supplier (PGS or SPS) is legally responsible for ensuring that all water supplied to the public by them does not present a risk to human health and meets the requirements of the Drinking Water Regulations 2023.
Trihalomethanes
Trihalomethanes (THMs) are formed when natural organic matter in the water source, such as vegetation, reacts with chlorine used in the disinfection treatment process.
In 2023, 21 PGS supplying 22,000 people failed the standard for THMs, according to the EPA report.
This is an increase from the 16 supplies serving 14,000 people in 2022. A factor that is contributing to increased number of THM failures is the heavier rainfall events experienced in recent years, associated with climate change.
In January 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that Ireland had failed to take the measures necessary to ensure THM compliance in 9 PGS and failed to give priority to enforcement actions.
Five supplies that failed the THM standard in 2023 are listed in the European court ruling.
The EPA has stated that actions must be taken by PGS to achieve THM compliance, including investing in and delivering water treatment plant upgrades and that local authorities should take the necessary enforcement actions to achieve compliance.
Recommendations on water quality
The EPA has stated that water suppliers need to register their supply with the local authority, ensure disinfection is operating correctly and carry out upgrades to infrastructure where required.
In turn, the EPA said that local authorities must register all private drinking water supplies, monitor all private drinking water supplies and investigate supplies that fail to meet drinking water quality standards.
Necessary enforcement action should then be taken by the local authorities.
The report by the EPA also outlined that there is an onus on the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to amend legislation to obligate suppliers to register.
The department must also address the issues highlighted in the rural water review report to improve water quality, according to the EPA.
The environmental agency also wants the department to allocate Multi- Annual Rural Water Programme (MARWP) funding to deliver drinking water quality improvements.