Threat to drinking water

HEAVY rainfall all this year is resulting in contamination of drinking water in some areas, especially those served by private supplies and group schemes.

The risk of getting an E.coli bug from animal and human waste is particularly high in untreated water from wells and in supplies where treatment is not working properly.

More than 80% of our drinking water originates from surface water, so the risk of contaminants being washed into sources is obvious. The Health Service Executive has reported a 200% increase in the number of E.coli infections (VTEC strain) between January and June of this year, compared to the same period in 2011.