Private water schemes in 10 counties failed E.coli tests last year

Hannah Kate Costello

Private group water schemes in 10 counties failed E.coli tests last year, according to a new report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Around 200,000 people in rural Ireland get their drinking water from private group schemes, according to EPA estimates. Of the 370 schemes tested by the EPA last year, 14 failed the E.coli test.

These schemes are community-run supplies that source, treat, and supply drinking water to their members.

The agency also monitored 1,600 registered private supplies used by some businesses, schools, and nursing homes. Last year, 67 of these failed the E.coli test.

E.coli (Escherichia coli) is a bacterium commonly found in the intestines of humans and animals; while most strains are harmless, some can cause severe food poisoning and serious illness.

EPA programme manager, Noel Byrne, said many private supplies continue to go under the radar because registration is not mandatory.

Speaking on Newstalk this morning, he said: "If you look at the likes of Cork local authorities, they are very proactive in looking for these small private supplies, and they've registered around 250 of them."

"But if you look at the same size rural counties such as Mayo, they only have 24 private supplies registered. So that's a concern: there are a number of private supplies that are providing water to consumers, and they're not registered. And if they're not registered, they're not monitored."

Water suppliers outside the mainstream local authorities are legally responsible for ensuring their water is safe and meets the Drinking Water Regulations.

Supplying unsafe drinking water is an offence and puts consumers at risk of illness.

The report does not deal with household wells, as they are exempt from the drinking water regulations, but the EPA advises householders to test their wells to ensure they are safe to drink.