The drinking water at one in 20 hotels, pubs, restaurants, schools and nursing homes that were tested by environment watchdog EPA have been found to contain E.coli.
Meeting E.Coli standards is a basic requirement of safe drinking water in Ireland as it poses a serious risk to people’s health.
But in 2020, the EPA found 49 of the 1,225 small private supplies they monitored were contaminated with the sickness-inducing bacteria as well as 20 of the 380 private group schemes serving more than 2,900 people.
Meanwhile, 7% of private group schemes failed Trihalomethane standards.
THMs are found when chlorine used to disinfect water reacts with natural organic matter and can cause cancer and reproductive problems.
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.”
The EPA is tasked with monitoring the drinking water quality in private groups schemes and small private supplies that cater to around 200,000 people in rural communities on an annual basis.
Following the 2020 findings, the environment group says the quality of drinking water in private supplies is not as good as it should be.
Their tests found that overall 95% of private group water schemes and 96% of small private supplies complied with E.coli standards while 93% of Private Group Schemes complied with the Trihalomethanes standard.
Some private supplies are overseen by local authorities because they are covered by the Drinking Water Regulations, making them regulated supplies.
But over a quarter of small private supplies, serving food businesses, nursing homes, crèches and B&Bs, were not monitored in 2020 by local authorities.
Noel Byrne, Programme Manager of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement, said: “We recognise that, in many cases, the failure to monitor these premises was due to difficulties in accessing premises during 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.”
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage makes funding available through the Multi Annual Rural Water Programme to address failures in drinking water quality due to deficiencies in infrastructure.
EPA says upgrade works should be progressed without delay at those Private Group Water Schemes which have been identified as a priority in order to improve the drinking water quality of these supplies.
Key findings:
- 28% of the 1,715 small private supplies registered were not monitored
- 20 of approx 380 private water group schemes failed to meet the standard
- 49 of 1,225 small private supplies failed to meet the standard
- 22 private group schemes and two small private supplies failed to meet the Trihalomethanes (THM) standard.
You can read the full report on the EPA website.
