Over 90 private water supplies, affecting over 5,400 people, were found to be on boil water notices, according to the Environment Protection Agency (EPA).

One fifth of the population, mostly in rural areas, get their drinking water from private water supplies. The remainder of the population are supplied by public water supplies which are the responsibility of Irish Water.

A special report focusing on the quality of Private Water Supplies in Ireland, released by the EPA, shows that 20 per cent of the population are supplied by private supplies.

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Mr Gerard O'Leary, Director of the EPA's Office of Environmental Enforcement, said: "Despite recent improvements to private water supplies, there were 94 private water supplies affecting over 5,400 people on boil water notices. Further improvements are required to ensure that people on private water supplies have access to clean and wholesome drinking water."

Darragh Page, Senior Inspector of the EPA's Office of Environmental Enforcement, said: "Local authorities have extensive enforcement powers to ensure that action is taken where water quality issues are identified in private supplies. Where such issues are identified and the water supplier is unwilling to take action the local authority should exercise its enforcement powers to ensure that consumers are protected."

(CD/LM)