EPA - Ireland's Environment 2016

Ireland’s Environment – An Assessment 2016

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Ireland has the highest rate of VTEC (verotoxigenic

E. coli

)

in Europe (EFSA, 2016). VTEC is a particular type of the

bacterium

E. coli

. VTEC infection causes a wide range

of illnesses from mild diarrhoea to haemolytic–uraemic

syndrome, a form of kidney failure. In recent years, all

reported VTEC outbreaks associated with drinking water

have been linked to private water supplies, with the

majority of cases affecting children, many of whom have

been hospitalised (HPSC, 2013a).

The EPA recommends that well owners should proactively

manage the quality of their own water to minimise health

risks to everyone in the home. This includes checking

that there are no sources of pollution entering the well

and getting the water tested at least once a year, ideally

following heavy rainfall, when the well is most at risk of

contamination. The EPA has developed a

Protect your Well

app (available on

) for well owners to assess

their own water supply and to identify contamination risks.

Figure 8.6

Private Wells Infographic (Source: EPA)