Water Supply in Ireland
There are two main classifications of water supply in Ireland:
Public Water Supply: These supplies are in the charge or ownership of Uisce Éireann or any person acting jointly with it or on its behalf under a service level agreement or contract.
Private Water Supply: These supplies are not operated by Uisce Éireann.
Private Water Supplies
Private Water Supplies comprise of the following types:
- Public Group Schemes are supplies where a group water scheme, set up by the local community, manages the distribution of treated water to the users. Uisce Éireann manage the abstraction and treatment of the water.
- Private Group Schemes are supplies where a group water scheme, set up by the local community, manages the abstraction, treatment and distribution of treated water.
- Small Private Supplies (SPS) are supplies serving a commercial or public activity. The owner or manager of the activity manages the abstraction, any treatment and the delivery of the water. Examples of commercial or public activities served by small private supplies include hotels, pubs and restaurants, crèches and national schools.
- Household Wells serve individual private homes, mostly in rural areas. Household wells are often also called private wells. The householder is responsible for managing this type of supply.
Both the Supplier and the relevant Local Authority have legal responsibilities in relation to private supplies, under the European Union (Drinking Water) Regulations 2014.