E.coli fears over private water supplies to some schools, nursing homes, and hotels

The water supply to some schools, nursing homes, and hotels are not monitored in any way for E.coli, according to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency which found the water quality from such sources is “consistently poorer than public water supplies”.

The EPA found nearly one in five people use private water supplies.

But, of the 2,676 private water supplies registered in Ireland, 37% were not monitored at all for E.coli during the 2015 reporting period.

“This is worrying as, without regular monitoring of a supply, the users of the supply may be unwittingly drinking water of a poor water quality standard and this could impact on their health,”says the EPA report.

“Of the small private supplies that were not monitored, 270 are hotels, restaurants, or other premises serving food to the public; 99 serve national schools or childcare centres; and 23 serve nursing homes.”

Gerard O’Leary, director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement, said that despite recent improvements to private water supplies, there were 94 private water supplies affecting over 5,400 people on ‘boil water’ notices during the reporting period.

“Further improvements are required to ensure that people on private water supplies have access to clean and wholesome drinking water,” he said.

The report estimates there are 170,000 household wells in Ireland which supply water to individual private households.

“These wells are exempt from regulation and responsibility for looking after these wells rests with the householder. It is estimated that up to 30% of the household wells in Ireland are contaminated by E.coli arising from animal or human waste,” states the report.

The EPA warns that Ireland has the highest incidence of VTEC — a form of E.coli — in Europe, and that analysis of cases shows patients are up to four times more likely to have consumed untreated water from household wells.

“Household well owners (both small private supply owners and private householders) should pay particular attention to the protection of their well as the majority of household wells have no form of water treatment in place,” states the report.

A total of 48 audits of private water supplies were carried out by eight local authorities in 2015, with four of the councils issuing five directions.

County councils in Clare, Cork, Galway, Kilkenny, Laois, Meath, Tipperary, and Wicklow carried out the 48 audits, with more than 20% of these taking place in Cork (10).

“Local authorities have extensive enforcement powers to ensure that action is taken where water quality issues are identified in private supplies,” said Darragh Page, senior inspector of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement.

“Where such issues are identified and the water supplier is unwilling to take action, the local authority should exercise its enforcement powers to ensure that consumers are protected.”

Among the conclusions in the report are the recommendations that all supplies should be monitored for E.coli at least once a year, and twice in cases of supplies providing water to 50 or more people.

The EPA also advises that well users should fence off around the well and surface water abstraction points to prevent animal access and contamination.