The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Health Service Executive (HSE) are advising people that water supplies from private wells can be contaminated with E-coli.

The HSE meanwhile reports a growing number of cases of VTEC, a particularly serious and nasty form of E-coli. Analysis of cases shows that people treated for VTEC are four times more likely to have consumed untreated water from a private well. The EPA has developed a new assessment tool 'Protect your Well' and well owners are urged to use it to assess their private well and ensure they are not putting their health or the health of family and visitors at risk.

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"Lots of people assume that because their water comes from a well or a spring that it’s completely pure and safe to drink, but that is not necessarily the case," said David Flynn, Programme Manager, EPA. "We estimate that up to 50,000 private wells in Ireland are contaminated with human or animal waste and this can cause significant threat to people's health. Sometimes, we find that people can develop immunity themselves, but visitors to the house, particularly children and the elderly are at risk of getting very sick."

Ireland has the highest incidence of VTEC in Europe. Since 2011, the HSE has reported a doubling of the number of VTEC cases in Ireland (284 in 2011, 554 in 2012 and 704 in 2013). Animals, particularly cattle are the main source of VTEC and infection is spread either from direct animal contact or through contaminated food and water. Person to person spread is also common. In other countries the most common source of infection is through food outbreaks.

Disinfection kills all E. coli including VTEC and, while public water supplies are disinfected, not all private wells are.

(CD/MH)