Advice to check well water after recent heavy rains
There is an increased risk of contamination after the sustained heavy rainfall of several months.
Almost two out of every 10 people in Ireland get their water from a private supply, and they have been advised to check their well water supply because there is an increased risk of contamination after the sustained heavy rainfall of several months.
About 720,000 people in Ireland get their water from a private supply. They should not assume their private well water is safe to drink. A recent investigation showed 29% of Irish private wells, nearly one in three, were contaminated with E coli bacteria, which can cause serious illness. Although most strains of E coli are harmless, and they live in the intestines of healthy humans and animals, verocytotoxigenic E coli (VTEC) strains produce a powerful toxin and can cause severe illness.
