'Risk to public health’: EPA warns many private water supplies are not being monitored
The Irish Environmental Protection Agency has warned that many private water supplies remain unregistered and unmonitored, posing significant public health risks. The agency is calling for mandatory registration to ensure water safety standards are met across rural communities and commercial sites.
Why it matters
Unmonitored water sources can lead to outbreaks of waterborne diseases like E. coli, highlighting a critical gap in public health infrastructure.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Agency (EPA) has warned that “more action is needed” as many private water supplies are not being monitored.
The EPA has launched its 2025 report on drinking water quality in private water supplies.
There are around 370 private group schemes supplying drinking water to more than 194,000 people in rural communities across Ireland.
In addition to this, over 1,600 small private supplies are registered with local authorities, providing drinking water from their own wells to commercial and public activities, such as schools, crèches, nursing homes, hotels, camping sites and sports clubs.
However, the EPA has warned that drinking water quality in private supplies “continues to fall short of what’s achieved in our public water supplies”.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, EPA programme manager Noel Byrne said “many small private supplies are not registered and not monitored by local authorities”, which creates a “risk to public health”.
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