Water wise: Is your drinking water actually safe?

Around 11% of Irish people still get their water from private water supplies that are not being checked by local testing authorities

Water quality starts with purity and safety. If you have a private supply, it’s up to you to get the water tested. Picture: iStock

Streaming into our glasses, filling those cooking pans and soaking our children’s delicate skin, it’s easy to take the condition of our water supply for granted. What should you know, whether you’re a customer of Irish Water or providing your own water from a well, spring or borehole?

Starting with the mains, John Leamy, drinking water compliance lead with Irish Water, emphasises that in general, our local authority supply is completely safe. 

“The protection of public health is a priority for Irish Water. 99.6% of our customers currently receive a water supply that is safe to drink. Since its establishment in 2014, Irish Water has made significant progress in improving drinking water quality. All public drinking water supplies undergo a complex treatment and testing process to ensure that the water is safe," John says.

"Where issues are identified through our rigorous testing process, immediate action is taken — in consultation with the HSE — to resolve these issues and inform customers of any recommended measures to protect public health. In some cases, this may be via a Boil-Water-Notice or a Do-Not-Consume-Notice. Such issues are rare and the majority of public water supplies are safe to drink.”

How to spot an issue

If there is a problem with the water to your home? “The appearance of mains water can vary slightly depending on your location and other factors, such as weather or works taking place on the water network” John explains. 

“A burst pipe water can appear discoloured for a period of time as sediment in the pipe may become dislodged during the repair work. 

"Similarly, water can sometimes appear cloudy as a result of tiny air bubbles following repair or maintenance works. Your drinking water should not have an abnormal smell.

“The most common odour in drinking water is that of chlorine, added during the treatment process to kill any harmful bacteria. If your water develops a strong noticeable odour that is not normal for your supply, you should check with your neighbours to see if they are also experiencing the same issue. 

"Otherwise, If you are on a public water supply, check with Irish Water online at www.water.ie, on Twitter @IWCare or through the 24/7 customer care line at 1800 278 278. If you are on a private group water scheme, contact the operators of the scheme or your local authority.”

Moving home

So, we’ve just bought a new house — well, new to us. What do we do to ensure the water is safe to drink?

John continues, “When you move into a new area it’s useful to find out about your local water supply. You can do this on the Irish Water website by setting your location and going to the water quality section of the website. This has details of water quality for all public water supplies in the country and will include advice about any restrictions/advisories that may be in place. 

John Leamy, Irish Water. 

"Your property could also be supplied by a Group Water Scheme. If this is the case you should contact the Rural Water Section of your Local Authority for information.

“It is important to check the location of your water meter (if one is in place) or the stop valve in case you ever need to turn off the supply at the mains — in the case of a burst pipe for example. If a property has been unoccupied for a long period of time it is advisable to run the taps to thoroughly flush out any stagnant water that may be stored in pipes or tanks.

Finally, some older properties may contain lead piping: “If so, there is a risk that lead may dissolve into the drinking water,” says John. “All lead plumbing, including fixtures and fittings in buildings and within property boundaries is the responsibility of the property owner and it is advisable to have it replaced as soon as possible. 

"A grant scheme is to assist homeowners is available and administered by local authorities on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Further information is available here."

Well, well

While over four million people enjoy the convenience of a supply from Irish Water, 11% of Irish people, largely in rural Ireland still get their water from private water supplies. This water is not checked as being “potable” by the local testing authorities.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EAP) has some good general advice on testing and maintaining private water supplies (wells, springs and boreholes) together with video guides. 

You can also call your local authority’s environment section or local HSE environmental health officer, who can advise you on a suitable laboratory to test your water for problematic traces of various microbes, E coli, parasitic cryptosporidium and even radon and uranium.

The EPA advises it is important to get your water tested for E coli and coliform bacteria. The need for other tests depends on the location of your well and the appearance of your water. For example, if your well is in an agricultural area you may need to get it tested for nitrate or if it is slightly discoloured you may want to get it tested for iron and manganese.

“When making arrangements with the laboratory — describe any concerns you have about your well water and they will be able to advise on what specific tests should be carried out," the agency says. 

"It is recommended that you test your well water at least once a year for microbiological contamination and every three years for chemical contamination.”

You can call your local authority’s environment section or local HSE environmental health officer for advice on water testing.

The certificate of analysis that you receive from the laboratory following a test from your sample, should indicate whether your well water has failed any of the water quality standards. 

The HSE emphasises the importance of having your well water tested, even where it seems fine and is collecting out of sight underground in a borehole.

“It is more likely that a shallow supply might become contaminated, but that’s not the whole story. You may not be able to tell without assessing your supply and having the water tested whether your water supply is safe. Drinking water which has been contaminated with microbes can lead to acute infectious gastroenteritis,” the HSE website states.

Even with the best-constructed, brand-new well, contamination including nitrates and pesticides from local agricultural activity will not always change the taste, smell or colour of your water.

The wider catchment area may be steadily collecting contaminants. You really must get the water tested, and the best time to get your sample is following a period of heavy rain or flooding when according to the HSE, the well is more likely to be overwhelmed and contaminated.

Purification

With UV treatment or chlorination, your well can be purified or drinking, washing and cooking. However if your well and water have multiple issues that are going to be problematic and expensive to rectify, and you are close enough to connect to a local authority mains supply — this might be worth investigating. 

Irish Water are not responsible for wells, but John Leamy advises, “If you are looking to test your drinking water you should avail the services of a laboratory with accreditation to ISO17025 for the parameters you would like to test for. Visit here for details of such laboratories.”

There is some grant aid for wells where the mains supply is out of reach, and you have over €750 of work to face into. 

For rehabilitation works to the well, it’s 85% of approved costs subject to a maximum of €3,000. For a new well, it’s 85% of approved costs subject to a maximum of €5,000, where the housing authority agrees that this is the most appropriate solution. 

Water quality treatment element (typically filtration and Ultra Violet treatment or reverse osmosis) qualifies for 100% funding up to a maximum of €1,000. Water softeners are not included in this last grant. Water treatment grant aid can be claimed on its own or in addition to either of the other two grants.

Don’t go ahead with works before applying for any of these grants through your local authority. You will need form PWS 1a to start the process, and you can get this from the website of your local authority.