Private drinking water supplies including those serving rural schools, hotels and hospitals have some of Ireland’s worst quality water, the Irish Environmental Protection Agency has warned. The new report form the EPA, shows that small private wells, including those in Co Limerick, have the worst E.coli contamination levels – significantly behind group water schemes and public water supplies. Private water wells on or close to dairy farms where animal and cow slurry is stored or spread are particularly vulnerable to contamination from E-coli. As well as slurry seeping into the ground, other sources of contamination include leaky well covers, foul surface water, slurry leaking into rivers and streams and pollution from household septic tanks, chemical or fuel storage.
To protect your family health and ensure safe drinking water from a private water well, a water filtration system is a sound investment. For home owners with their own private water well, a grant of up 75% of the cost subject to a maximum of €2031.58 is available from the Department of Housing Planning Community and Local Government to assist with protecting and maintaining their household water well or installing basic treatment like disinfection or filtration systems. Click here to download or read the full EPA report.