![\"Graph](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0024c6cb-614.jpg\"\/)
\nGraph shows E.coli compliance levels in Small Private Water Supplies<\/p>\n
The Environmental Protection Agency has warned that thousands of people could be drinking water from private supplies that are not being monitored for contamination, posing an ongoing risk to public health.<\/p>\n
The agency is calling on the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to change the law so that all private drinking water supplies must be registered with local authorities and routinely monitored.<\/p>\n
There are thousands of Small Private Water Supplies providing drinking water from wells and other private sources to schools, cr\u00e8ches, nursing homes, hotels, campsites, sports clubs and other commercial and public premises across Ireland.<\/p>\n
However, only about 1,600 are registered with local authorities – a requirement if the supplies are to be sampled and monitored to ensure the water is safe to drink.<\/p>\n
\nGraph shows E.coli compliance levels in Small Private Water Supplies<\/p>\n
The EPA said this number is far too low.<\/p>\n
It believes there are many more Small Private Water Supplies that have never been registered.<\/p>\n
It said this could mean thousands of privately operated water supplies serving the public are not being sampled or monitored to ensure the water is safe to drink.<\/p>\n
Speaking on RT\u00c9’s Morning Ireland, Noel Byrne, Programme Manager in the EPA’s Office of Radiation Protection and Environmental Monitoring, said Cork County Council “has been very pro-active in registering their supplies.”<\/p>\n
“They [Cork Co Co] have registered about 250 in the county of Cork, but if you look at the report, and a similar rural county such as Mayo, they have only 24 registered … and that is a level of concern,” Mr Byrne said.<\/p>\n
He said that “people need to take drinking water quality seriously.”<\/p>\n
“One person getting sick from contaminated water is one too many, but even that could be a family or even a community.”<\/p>\n
Separate from these are 376 community-run Private Group Water Schemes, supplying drinking water to almost 200,000 people.<\/p>\n
The EPA said drinking water quality in registered private supplies continues to fall short of the standards achieved by public water supplies operated by Uisce \u00c9ireann.<\/p>\n
Mr Byrne said the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is “taking steps to look at changing the legislation” to mandate all private drinking water supplies being registered with local authorities and routinely monitored.<\/p>\n
“We [EPA] would like to see that expedited so it’s delivered quicker,” Mr Byrne. He added, however, that “a lot of this comes back actually here to the supplier.”<\/p>\n
He said that a business in a rural community that has its own well is “providing water to consumers” and it needs the “assurance” that its water is safe for consumption.<\/p>\n
“So, arguably, they register themselves because it’s the right thing to do.”<\/p>\n
Mr Byrne also urged consumers who are in doubt to “ask the owner is this water supply on a well, is it tested, and I think we need to raise the awareness around this.”<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/002006c5-614.jpg\"\/)
\nThe EPA said drinking water quality in registered private supplies continues to fall short of the standards achieved by public water supplies operated by Uisce \u00c9ireann<\/p>\n
Last year, almost 20,000 people were supplied by Small Private Water Supplies that failed the standard for trihalomethanes, while almost 2,000 people received drinking water from Private Group Water Schemes that failed the E. Coli standard.<\/p>\n
More than 40% of Private Group Water Schemes that failed the E. Coli standard in 2025 had also failed in 2024, making them repeat failures.<\/p>\n
The EPA said the fundamental problem is that owners of Small Private Water Supplies are under no legal obligation to register their supplies with local authorities.<\/p>\n
It said that must change if public health is to be adequately protected.<\/p>\n
The Director of the EPA’s Office of Radiation Protection and Environmental Monitoring, Pat Byrne, said, “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\u2019s health at risk.<\/p>\n
“Suppliers should act immediately and register their supplies, so they are monitored by local authorities, giving suppliers and consumers confidence in the quality of their drinking water,” he added.<\/p>\n
Three years ago, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage identified the need to strengthen the governance, oversight and management of private water supplies.<\/p>\n
The EPA said the necessary legislative reforms have yet to be introduced.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0024c6b8-614.jpg\"\/)
\nMore than 40% of Private Group Water Schemes that failed the E. Coli standard in 2025 had also failed in 2024<\/p>\n
In its ‘Private Drinking Water Report 2025\u2019, published today, the EPA is calling on the department to urgently implement those reforms to better protect public health.<\/p>\n
It said the first priority should be making registration with local authorities a legal requirement for all Small Private Water Supplies.<\/p>\n
Noel Byrne said: “While there has been some improvement in E. Coli compliance in group schemes, the continued failures in several private group schemes show that more action is needed.<\/p>\n
“Local authorities must work closely with suppliers to identify the causes of failures and ensure corrective actions are put in place,” he added.<\/p>\n
“Where suppliers do not act, or where failures persist, local authorities must escalate enforcement action so consumers are protected,” Mr Byrne said.<\/p>\n
The National Federation of Group Water Schemes (NFGWS) welcomed the EPA report, saying it provides an important assessment of the current state of private drinking water supplies while also highlighting the progress being made by the group water scheme sector in protecting public health.<\/p>\n
The Federation said around 99% of the 194,000 people supplied by group water schemes received drinking water that recorded no E. Coli exceedance during 2025.<\/p>\n
It also highlighted the EPA\u2019s finding that E. Coli compliance in private group water schemes improved from 93.7% of supplies in 2024 to 96.2% last year.<\/p>\n
The number of schemes failing the standard fell from 24 in 2024 to 14 in 2025, while the number of consumers affected dropped from just over 4,000 to fewer than 1,900 people.<\/p>\n
The NFGWS said these improvements reflect the commitment of group water scheme staff, management boards and all those who support their operation.<\/p>\n
“These rural communities continue to invest considerable time, expertise and resources in delivering safe drinking water to their members,” it said.<\/p>\n