Collection: Well Water Treatment Ireland

Public water schemes supply water treated by a plant and these supplies are regularly monitored to protect consumers from contaminants present in water. Generally, private wells and other sources do not receive the same services. Consequently, they are more prone to contamination by both naturally occurring sources and human activities. Pollution from nearby agricultural, industrial or routine animal activity can seep into your well water, thereby, affecting its fitness for consumption. Sources can include livestock wastes, septic tanks, leaks of industrial chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides on agricultural land, and many more.

Some of the most commonly occurring contaminants present in well water are:

1. Hardness Causing Salts: Caused due to excessive calcium & magnesium in water, hard water can wreak havoc on your water-using appliances by building up a thick layer of limescale. This leads to increased utility bills, higher maintenance charges, and frequent breakdown of appliances such as electric kettles, washing machines, dishwashers, boilers, and showers.
2. Microorganisms: Bacteria, viruses, and parasites can be found all over the planet. Leaks from septic tanks, human and animal sewage can make their way into a private well and cause illness and other health effects. Once the water has been contaminated, microbes can live in there for a long time even in extreme weather conditions.
3. Heavy Metals: Heavy metals can leach into drinking water from old and corroded plumbing lines, industrial waste, and natural mineral deposits. People who consume high levels of heavy metals such as lead and arsenic risk acute and chronic toxicity, damage to internal organs, and cancer.
4. Nitrates: Nitrates and nitrites can enter well water through chemical fertilizers and industrial pollution. Nitrate levels above established limits are dangerous to pregnant women, babies, elderly, and individuals with weak immune systems.
5. Iron & Manganese: Iron & manganese often occur together in groundwater and impart a strong metallic taste to water. Water coming from wells or springs with high iron or manganese may appear colourless initially, but orange-brown (iron) or black (manganese) stains quickly start to appear as water is exposed to oxygen.
6. High Acidity: In general, water with a pH that is lower than 7 is considered acid water, with lower numbers being increasingly acidic. If your water has low pH, you may see blue-green stains on your faucets, as well as on bathtubs and sinks. Water with a pH of less than 6.5 is corrosive and has the potential to damage your plumbing fixtures.

Grants are available under the Rural Water Programme for the carrying out of improvement works to a private water supply (this means a water supply providing water intended for human consumption and domestic purposes that serves only one house).

The objective of the scheme is to provide assistance to households who are dependent on private individual well supplies and incurring capital expenditure.

Well grants can be availed for:

• Provision of a new well – Grant aid of 85% of the costs, subject to a maximum of €5,000
• Rehabilitation works – Grant aid of 85% of the costs, subject to a maximum of €3,000
• Water Treatment (UV, Filtration) – Grant of 100% of the costs, subject to a maximum of €1,000

For more details, visit think link: Local Authority Well Grants

A well grant is a grant for households in rural areas that are dependent on a private water supply (private well).

The grant provides financial assistance where households incur capital expenditure to drill a new well, upgrade an existing well and/or install a treatment system to ensure the water supply is wholesome and clean, or that the quantity supplied is sufficient to meet the domestic needs of the household.