Water supply

Uisce Éireann, previously known as Irish Water, is responsible for secure, safe, and sustainable water services in Ireland. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage provides funding to maintain and improve our water supply infrastructure, such as pipes, filtration and disinfection systems.

Public water supply

Uisce Éireann maintain the public water supply in Ireland. However, your local authority provides certain services for Uisce Éireann. For example, they do drinking water tests on public water in your area. These results are provided to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) each year.

What is a group water scheme?

If your home is not connected to a public water supply you may get your water from a group water scheme. Group water schemes operate in rural areas that are outside the scope of urban public mains systems. Usually, group schemes are established in areas where the local authority does not intend to install a water supply system in the near future, or at all

Group water schemes can be public or private, depending on whether the water comes from the public mains or a private source such as a lake, river, well or spring.

What is your group water scheme responsible for?

Your group water scheme is responsible for:

• Supplying you and other members of the scheme with water
• Maintaining the scheme's network

This applies whether the water is privately or publicly sourced.

Your local authority will test the water supply in group water schemes to ensure it is safe to drink. But they are not responsible for maintaining group scheme pipes and filtration systems.

The National Federation of Group Water Schemes represents members of group water schemes. It also provides advice, training and other services to scheme members.

You can also visit our page on water charges for group schemes to learn more about how these schemes work.

Can a group water scheme get taken over by Uisce Éireann?

If the members of a group water scheme want Uisce Éireann to take over their scheme, they must:

• Get consent from two thirds of the members of the group scheme
• Fill out an application form provided by their local authority
• Give the local authority a map of the pipe system and give it access to test pipes for leaks

Uisce Éireann has standards and procedures for taking over a group water scheme. Your local authority will have more information about the procedure, as well as the application form.

If the Uisce Éireann takes over your scheme, it is then responsible for maintaining the water system.

Private water supplies (groundwater)

If you are not connected to the public water supply and you are not part of a group water scheme, you will have to source a private supply of water, by boring your own well. The Institute of Geologists of Ireland (IGI) has guidelines for drilling private wells.

When the well is drilled, you should seal it against pollution, make sure it is disinfected and get a sample tested. See the IGI’s guidelines on Water well construction (pdf) for further details.

You are responsible for maintaining your own water supply if you have a well. The local authority will not test your supply. If your water supply is polluted by negligence, you should contact your local authority. For further information on how the quality of both public and private water supplies is ensured, see our page on water quality.

What should I do if there is a planned water supply outage?

Uisce Eireann may need to cut water supply to an area to upgrade or improve the water service. These works are usually planned and you will be informed about them.

Before planned works take place in your area you can take the following steps to make sure you have water and avoid issues with your water supply:

1. Make sure you have enough drinking water. You can do this by filling jugs of water and storing them in your fridge. Do not drink water from your hot water or bathroom taps.
2. Turn off pre-programmed appliances like dishwashers, washing machines or other devices that use water. Do this until the water returns.
3. Turn off all the taps in your home . This will help avoid flooding when the water returns.
4. Use the water sparingly. Storage tanks last up to 24 hours but emptying the tank can cause an airlock.

What should I do if there is an unplanned issue?

If your water supply is interrupted, or you think there is a water leak in your area, you can report it to Uisce Éireann.

You can check their website for updates on water supply issues, including outages or low pressure.

You can also sign up for water service updates with Uisce Éireann’s Free Text Alert Service. The service will notify you if there are any

• Planned water supply issues in your area
• Unplanned interruptions in your area
• Water quality events that last longer than 4 hours in your area

Under the First Fix Free Scheme, Uisce Éireann will contact you by post if your water meter shows that there might be a leak on your external supply pipe.

Uisce Éireann offers free leak investigations and repairs where there is a constant flow of water on a customers’ external water supply pipe. The Properties eligible for the scheme are:

• Individual domestic properties on the public water supply with a single service pipe connection.
• Semi-detached, or similar, domestic properties with a Shared Service Connection.
• Mixed use properties with a predominant domestic demand component.

To register for the scheme you must fill out the application form. To read more about whether your property qualifies visit First Fix Scheme: Customer Guide.

Uisce Éireann operate a Leakage Reduction Programme to improve the pipe network across the country. During times of water shortages , for example, in the summertime. Uisce Éireann can make an order to stop or restrict the use of water supplies for:

• Watering gardens, recreational parks or sports grounds
• Washing cars and trailers (including by commercial car wash facilities)
• Filling or replenishing swimming pools, ponds and lakes
• Irrigating or spraying crops

It is an offence not to comply with a water conservation order.

Grants for a well

The Rural Water Programme provides grants to improve your private water supply if you are living in a rural area and cannot access the public water supply. A private water supply provides water to one house and is often, a well.

To qualify for a grant, your house must be more than 7 years old and not connected to a public or group scheme. You can get a grant to:

Fix a private water supply

This grant covers 85% of the approved costs of rehabilitation works to your well, up to a maximum of €3,000.

Install a new well

This grant covers 85% of the approved costs of a new well, up to a maximum of €5,000. Your local authority must agree that a new well is the most appropriate solution.

Improve the water quality

This grant covers 100% of the approved costs of improving water quality in your well, up to a maximum of €1,000. The work may include filtration or Ultra Violet treatment.

The minimum grant you can get is €750.

To apply for a grant, you should complete an application form (pdf) and send it to the rural water section of your local authority.

For further information see the Department’s terms and conditions for the grants.

Grants for group water schemes

Grants are available from your local authority to set-up and run a group water scheme.

Grant for setting up a group water scheme

You can get a grant to set-up a group water scheme, if you and at least 1 other household get together to provide your homes and farms with a water system where none already exists. A committee that represents the members in your group scheme must propose the scheme and the local authority must approve it.

The amount you will get depends on where your scheme is located. Check with your local authority for the details in your area. Generally, a grant will cover 85% of the cost, with a limit of €7,650 for each house in the scheme. The group members must cover the balance, but costs can be kept down if members can do some of the work themselves.

Subsidies for running a group water scheme

An annual subsidy is available for the running costs of the group water scheme. This must be approved by the local authority. The subsidy is:[DW1]

• Up to €115 for each house supplied from a from a public source (Uisce Éireann)
• Up to €231 for each house supplied from a private source (such as a private well, lake or borehole)
• The cost per house where water disinfection and treatment is provided under a Design Build Operate (DBO) contract
• Up to €100 per house for schemes of less than 100 houses, that agree to work towards an amalgamation or strategy that results in them forming a new entity

You can find grant forms and water supply information on your local authority website. Further information about water supply is available from Uisce Éireann.

If you want to set-up a group water scheme contact:

If you want further information on grants for wells contact:

If you want to report a leak or an issue with your water supply contact:

Uisce Éireann plebiscite on ownership

The law states that before any shares in Uisce Éireann can be sold to anyone other than a government minister, the following steps must be taken:

• A resolution must be passed by each House of the Oireachtas (the Dáil and the Seanad) approving the proposal
• A proposal to allow for the sale must be submitted to a plebiscite and
• The proposal must be approved in the plebiscite

Anyone with a right to vote in a referendum would have the right to vote in this plebiscite.