Both the Supplier and the relevant Local Authority have legal responsibilities in relation to private supplies, under the European Union (Drinking Water) Regulations 2023. Private supplies must be properly protected, monitored, regulated and funded to ensure that they meet the drinking water standards. It is essential that all people and organisations with responsibility for private supplies play their part, to protect public health and to ensure that, no matter where you live, you can be confident that your drinking water is safe.
Local Authorities have two primary roles in relation to private supplies: as a regulator, consequent to its role as supervisory authority under the Regulations: and as administrator, to the Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme (MARWP).
Role of Regulator
Galway County Council is the Supervisory Authority for private supplies within Galway. In its role as Supervisory Authority, Galway County Council is obliged to ensure private water supplies meet the requirements of the European Union (Drinking Water) Regulations 2023.
The European Union (Drinking Water) Regulations 2023 sub-divide private supply types: Regulated Supply and Exempt Supply.
Galway County Council has a varying degree of overseeing/enforcement responsibilities depending on the supply being regulated or exempt.
Role of Administrator
Galway Council Council administer and distribute funding from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government through the Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme (MARWP).
Grant assistance is available under the Programme for capital works for:
- Group Water Schemes (GWS)
- Group Sewerage Schemes (GSS)
- Community Connections (Water and Wastewater)
- Individual Domestic Water Supplies (more commonly called private wells)
- Domestic Wastewater Treatment Systems (more commonly called septic tanks).
There is no funding mechanism in place for Small Private Supplies (SPS) at present.
Small Private Supplies
As set out in the European Union (Drinking Water) Regulations, 2023, a private water supply means a water supply other than a public water supply. (Public Water Supplies are in the charge or ownership of Uisce Éireann).
Small Private Supplies are defined as those ‘serving a commercial or public activity, in which the abstraction, treatment and distribution of treated water are managed by that same commercial or public entity’.
Under these Regulations, Galway County Council are the supervisory authority for Small Private Supplies (SPS) and are responsible for ensuring that the parametric analysis of these supplies meets the quality standards set out in Tables A, B and D in Schedule 1 of the Regulations.
Each local authority is required under Regulation 14(5) of the European Union (Drinking Water) Regulations 2023 to maintain a register of Private Water Supplies within their functional area.
As per Section 14(7) of the Regulations ‘a water supplier shall, as directed by a supervisory authority, provide the supervisory authority with such details as the authority considers are necessary for it to maintain an up-to-date register and records’.
It is an offence if a person fails to comply with a direction from a supervisory authority as per section 14(8) of the regulations.
You will need to register your supply with Rural Water Services, see form below:
Numerous guidance documents for risk management measures have been prepared for private wells and SPS, the following are useful links:
The Water Forum publication on the protection of SPS: https://www.thewaterforum.ie/app/uploads/2021/07/Andrade-et-al._Report-Water-Quality-of-Small-Private-Supplies.pdf
EPA Advice Note 14: https://www.epa.ie/publications/compliance--enforcement/drinkingwater/dvice--guidance/EPA_DrinkingWater_AdviceNoteNo14b_web.pdf
IGI guideline on drilling and installation of boreholes/wells: http://igi.ie/assets/files/Water%20Well%20Guidelines/Guidelines.pdf
EPA public awareness campaign on protection of private wells: https://www.epa.ie/environment-and-you/drinking-water/household-wells
The EPA also produces annual drinking water related reports, which can be.
searched and downloaded from this link: https://www.epa.ie/publications/compliance-enforcement/drinking-water/annual-drinking-water-reports
Finally, the HSE provides relevant, helpful information on drinking water and health,
including risk of illness from well water, at: https://www.hse.ie/eng/health/hl/water/drinkingwater/well-water.html