Two Roscommon private group water schemes had repeat failures of E. coli
The EPA launched its later report on drinking water quality.
Two Roscommon private group water schemes had repeat failures of E. coli, according to the latest EPA’s report on drinking water quality.
Brosna and Castlestrange in Co Roscommon were among six schemes nationally that had repeat failures of E. coli in both 2023 and 2024.
The other schemes were Monreagh/Tubber crossing the border of Co Clare and Co Galway, Ballinakill (Loughrea) in Co. Galway, and Curraunboy and Robeen in Co Mayo.
The Environmental Protection Agency said most of these schemes are on long-term boil water notices to protect public health.
The presence of E. coli bacteria indicates that a supply has been contaminated and the drinking water has not been fully disinfected. Consuming water contaminated with E. coli can lead to serious gastrointestinal illness.
Private Group Scheme operators and management committees are being advised to take action to address E. coli failures and improve the quality of water for their communities.
The EPA said that some important actions include improving the protection of water sources; installing suitable disinfection treatment systems, and properly maintaining water treatment equipment.
More than 370 private group schemes currently supply drinking water to 193,000 people across rural communities in Ireland.
In addition, many businesses and public facilities supply water from their own private wells. These are called small private supplies.
There are almost 1,700 small private supplies registered with local authorities. However, the EPA said many more are not registered.
The agency said there is a gap in current drinking water legislation, meaning the regulations do not require private suppliers to register.
As a result, the total number of small private supplies in the country remains unknown. These include supplies serving schools, nursing homes, sports clubs and self-catering accommodations. The quality of water in unregistered supplies is not monitored by local authorities.
Launching the report on ‘Drinking Water Quality in Private Group Schemes and Small Private Supplies 2024’, Micheál Lehane, EPA Director, said: "The lack of a mandatory requirement to register a private supply serving water to the public is a serious legislative gap that must be addressed. Without registration and subsequent monitoring by local authorities, consumers are unaware of the potential health risk they may be exposed to.
“Everyone has the right to safe drinking water. We want to see mandatory registration, but in the interim we strongly encourage private suppliers to register with local authorities so that all proper safety checks can be carried out on their supply.”
