EPA warns of drinking water contamination risk

Thousands of people in Ireland may be drinking water from private supplies that are not monitored for contamination, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warned on Tuesday. The agency is calling for legal changes to ensure all private drinking water sources are registered with local authorities and routinely checked for safety. Small Private Water Supplies, drawing from wells and other private sources, serve numerous public premises including schools, crèches, nursing homes, hotels, and campsites across Ireland. However, only about 1,600 of these are registered, a prerequisite for sampling and monitoring to guarantee safe drinking water. The EPA stated this number is alarmingly low, indicating that many more unregistered supplies likely exist, potentially putting thousands of people at risk. Drinking water quality in registered private supplies consistently falls short of the standards met by public water systems. Last year, nearly 20,000 people received water from Small Private Water Supplies that failed standards for trihalomethanes. Additionally, almost 2,000 people were supplied by Private Group Water Schemes that did not meet E. Coli standards, with over 40% of these schemes being repeat offenders from the previous year. The core issue, according to the EPA, is the lack of a legal obligation for owners of Small Private Water Supplies to register their systems. "It is unacceptable that people visiting a local business or using local amenities could unknowingly consume water from a well that is not registered or sampled, putting themselves and their family’s health at risk," said Pat Byrne, Director of the EPA's Office of Radiation Protection and Environmental Monitoring. He urged suppliers to register immediately. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage had identified the need for stronger oversight of private water supplies three years ago, but the necessary legislative reforms have yet to be implemented.

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It is unacceptable that people visiting a local business or using local amenities could unknowingly consume water from a well that is not registered or sampled, putting themselves and their family’s health at risk.