EPA Calls for Mandatory Registration of Private Water Supplies Amid Health Concerns
Dublin: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is urging mandatory registration of private drinking water supplies in Ireland due to rising public health risks from unmonitored wells serving schools, care homes, sports clubs, and tourist accommodations.
EPA Programme Manager Noel Byrne told Newstalk that many private water suppliers are not registered with local authorities, meaning they are not subject to routine safety monitoring. This, he warned, creates serious health risks due to the absence of proper checks.
Unclear Total Number of Supplies
While over 370 private group schemes serve 193,000 people, and around 1,700 small private supplies are registered, the EPA said the actual number of private suppliers remains unknown, as many are still unregistered.
In 2024, 24 private groups failed to meet E. coli standards, up from 13 in 2022. Six of these had repeated failures over two years, and five are currently under long-term boil water notices. An additional 51 small private supplies also recorded E. coli violations.
The EPA emphasised that meeting E. coli standards is the bare minimum for ensuring safe drinking water and urged immediate action to bring all private suppliers under regulatory oversight.
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