Are you up to date with the new EU Drinking Water Regulations?
IAS
Agriculture
In March 2023, the new EU Drinking Water Regulations were signed into Irish law. These regulations ensure that the state is meeting its EU obligations for the management of drinking water and are designed to protect human health. They enhance existing requirements by laying down detailed and clear directions regarding the management of water intended for human consumption and access to water.
We are currently experiencing a heat wave in Ireland, and rainfall is very low. This will put serious pressures on water levels across the country, particularly our well water. This could not only lead to reduced water quality, but these tensions often “throw up” different issues, including poor water pressure, bacterial contamination, and poor taste. These pressures mean that now’s the best time to send well water samples in for laboratory analysis to make sure your water is clean and safe to drink.
Read on to find out more about the importance of good quality drinking water, what the new EU Drinking Water Regulations entail, how to be approved for grants for water quality and equipment, and how IAS can help.
Why is high quality drinking water important?
Clean drinking water is a basic human right. Drinking water that is tainted with bacteria and other contaminants can transmit disease and endanger health. In fact, around 25,000 people die from drug-resistant bacteria in the EU every year. Children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are especially at risk to illness, so ensuring private water sources are maintained and tested regularly is vital to ensure the safety of the owner’s family.
Even if your drinking water does not actively cause illness, it is a vital natural resource that helps us facilitate metabolic processes, regulate body temperature, aid digestion, and more—if it’s clean.
If you also grow your own plants, or buy vegetables or meat products from a supermarket, you’ll reap the benefits of high quality drinking water. Clean water sustains crops and helps to raise healthy livestock for food production, upholding safety in the food chain.
Finally, low quality drinking water can also damage household appliances and plumbing. Issues such as low pH, high iron, and hardness can result in costly repairs and maintenance work. High levels of manganese and iron change the colour of your water, and a low pH can cause pipes to corrode. So, testing and treating water regularly not only helps keep you and your family safe and healthy, but it helps to prevent expensive maintenance works.
What do the new EU Drinking Water Regulations entail?
As part of the new EU Drinking Water Regulations, local water suppliers (such as Uisce Eireann) and local group water schemes must adopt a programme of increased water quality monitoring and regular communication. A risk-based approach is the underpinning theme of the new Directive, with water suppliers also required to carry out risk assessments throughout their supply system.
If a water supply constitutes a danger to people, Irish Water must take action to protect public health. It does this in consultation with and with the agreement of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Local authorities often perform certain functions on behalf of Irish Water under service level agreements. These actions may include:
- Issuing a ‘Drinking Water Restriction’ notice, which may require the prohibition or restriction of the use of the supply.
- Issuing a ‘Boil Water’ notice, which means it’s not safe to drink water from your tap. Before you drink it, you must boil and cool it.
- Issuing a ‘Do Not Consume’ notice. This is issued when the water supply is contaminated and boiling it will have no effect on removing the contaminant.
- Ensuring the public are made aware of the dangers as soon as possible.
What do the new regulations require private well owners to do?
Between 10-15% of the population in Ireland source their water from private wells or boreholes. Water from springs and boreholes (groundwater) may need to be treated, depending on the quality of its source.
If you have your own well, it is your responsibility to monitor your drinking water quality regularly. You must bear the cost of testing yourself and, if your supply is contaminated, you must organise and pay for any treatment required.
The HSE and EPA recommend you test your own well every 12 months for microbial contamination, or 18 months for a more in-depth analysis. This would include microbiology and chemistry analysis.
Some factors that can affect the quality of your drinking water sources include:
- Soil type
- Underlying ground, such as rock formation
- Agricultural practices
- High rainfall (e.g. organic material/contaminants washing into rivers and streams)
- Low rainfall, which can dry up water sources and exacerbate existing and create new issues.
Your groundwaters may only need precautionary disinfection, depending on the factors surrounding the source.
The HSE publishes detailed information on the risk of illness from well water. Click here for more information.
Am I eligible for a water quality or equipment grant?
Grants for water quality and equipment are available under the Rural Water Programme for the carrying out of improvement works to a private water supply. To be eligible, you must have a water supply intended for human consumption and domestic purposes that serves only one house. Click here to read more about the Housing Private Water Supply Financial Assistance Regulations 2020 (SI No. 192 of 2020).
If your IAS Laboratories report indicates contamination, you should be eligible for another grant from your local authority rural water scheme. This is used to improve water quality, with the water quality treatment element (typically filtration and ultraviolet treatment) qualifying for 100% funding up to a maximum of €1,000. This can be claimed on its own or in addition to either the grant for rehabilitation works or the grant for a new well.
Contact the rural section in your local authority for the relevant application forms and further information.
Regular maintenance, including independent laboratory analysis and well servicing, is very important for reducing the risk of contamination. We are an INAB accredited laboratory with over 35 years’ expertise in water quality testing.
To order your test kit, visit https://iaslabs.ie/ias-labs-tests/.