A total of 22 private water schemes failed the standard for E. coli in 2023, impacting approximately 4,600 consumers in Ireland, according to a report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The report pointed out that one in 20 drinking water supplies, from either private group schemes or small private supplies, failed to meet E. coli standards in 2023.
The presence of E. coli bacteria suggests that a supply has been contaminated and the drinking water has not been fully disinfected.
Notably, the 2023 monitoring results for small private supplies show drinking water is at 95.1 percent compliance, which is below the 99 percent compliance seen in public water supplies, said the report.
In an interview with RTE, Noel Byrne, Programme Manager of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement, said E. coli can be caused if anything gets into the water source, such as animal manure or something from a septic tank, leading to nausea, fever, and diarrhea.
The report also showed that a further 22,000 people were affected by schemes that failed the standard for Trihalomethanes, which are chemicals that may be found in water treated with chlorine.