Inspections of wells urged amid E.coli fears

Homeowners with private wells are being urged to monitor them amid fears they could be a source of a dangerous E.coli infection.

According to the HSE, instances of VTEC — a harmful strain of E.coli which may cause severe illness — have doubled in the last year. Contaminated well water can be a source.

Now the Environmental Protection Agency is asking all owners of wells, and those not on public supplies, to examine their water sources.

Senior inspector at the Office of Environmental Enforcement, Valerie Doyle, said E.coli was an indicator of faecal matter.

“VTEC is a harmful form of E.coli. It may cause gastroenteritis, but its toxins can lead to far more serious consequences. We would urge the owners of private supplies to check their water sources, and they will get vital information on what to look out for on local authority and EPA websites.”

VTEC can be transmitted person to person, or can be waterborne or foodborne. The second most common transmission route reported by the HSE so far this year is waterborne transmission.

Disinfection kills all E.coli, including VTEC. Public water supplies are disinfected but this is not the case for all private wells.

Bad weather also increases the risk to water supplies as high levels of rainfall can lead to more contaminants being washed into supplies.

Private supplies are more vulnerable as they are less secure than public water supplies, which have high levels of monitoring, alarms, and disinfection.

“Wells should be tested regularly, particularly after a prolonged period of heavy rainfall, since this is when the well may be overwhelmed and become contaminated,” said Ms Doyle.

Meanwhile, the quality of public water supplies continued to improve last year. Reports of excessive E.coli contamination is down by 90% since 2005.

The EPA’s Drinking Water Report is based on results from 250,000 monitoring tests. When the EPA created a remedial action list for public water supplies four years ago, there were 339 needing action; now there are 183. Remedial works in a further 90 will be completed by year’s end.

“This is a result of better monitoring, management, processes, and disinfection by local authorities,” said Gerard O’Leary, director at the Office of Environmental Enforcement.

VTEC on rise

* Reports of excessive E.coli down by almost 90% in public water supplies since 2005.

* The list of supplies on the remedial action list is down from 339 to 183 in four years. Remedial works on a further 90 will be complete by year end.

* Instances of VTEC, a harmful strain of E.coli, doubled in the last year.

* By Oct 12, 497 VTEC cases had been notified to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, compared to an average of 181 over the same period in each of the preceding three years.