Group water schemes and rural water issues

Approximately 6% of the population have their drinking water supplied by group water schemes (community-run schemes). Of these, about 70% get their water from private group schemes, which have a privately sourced water supply. The remaining schemes get their water from an Uisce Éireann connection.

The National Federation of Group Water Schemes is the organisation representing the sector - more information on group water schemes can be found on the Federation's website.

Almost 10% of the population get their drinking water from private wells.

Nearly 30% of households are not connected to public waste water services and depend on either a septic tank, group waste water treatment or other systems for treating their waste water.

The Rural Water Programme, through Exchequer funding, delivers improvements to private domestic water and waste water services in areas of rural Ireland where there are no public (Uisce Éireann) water/waste water services.

Grant assistance is available, through local authorities (the County Council), under the Programme for capital works for:

• Group Water Schemes
• Community Connections (water and waste water)
• Individual Domestic Water Supplies (more commonly called private wells)
• Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (more commonly called septic tanks)

The Programme provides for priority investment needs, which will support proper planning and sustainable development in rural areas. It will also help Ireland meet its Water Framework Directive commitments.

See also River Basin Management Plan 2018-2021.

Tobin Consulting Engineering conducted a review relating to research and information on the Rural Water Sector.

Under the multi-annual programme capital funding is provided to support the Rural Water Sector. The Programme operates on a multi-annual funding approach.

The Department, through the Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme (MARWP), seeks to ensure the delivery of national objectives for drinking water services in rural areas not served by Uisce Éireann.

The overall purpose of the MARWP and other grants is to provide the necessary funding to improve the quality, quantity and reliability of the water services relied upon by rural dwellers, where no public water services are available.

Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme 2024-2026

List and brief description of each Measure.

Measure A1 - Source Protection

Funding is available to existing sustainable private group water schemes (PriGWS) to undertake appropriate source protection works to their existing water source(s), including consolidation of sources where practical to do so.

Measure A2 - Water Treatment Provision, Improvements and Capital Replacement

Funding is available under two sub-measures, to existing sustainable PriGWS for:

• (a)water treatment plant improvements (including, as a matter of urgency, new water treatment for supplies currently without any treatment); or
• (b)capital replacement (existing DBO contracts).

Measure A3 - Amalgamation and/or Rationalisation

Funding is available under two sub-measures, to existing PriGWS for:

• (a)amalgamation – for essential enabling works to amalgamate and physically connect two or more schemes; and/or
• (b)rationalisation – for essential enabling works to bring together the management and operation of two or more schemes where physical connection is not practical.

Measure A4 - Water Conservation, Leakage Reduction and Prevention

Funding is available under two sub-measures, to existing sustainable PriGWS for:

• (a)water conservation to improve the level of leakage in the Sector; or
• (b)infrastructure upgrades - including to abstraction and distribution systems, storage and pumping stations etc.

Measure A5 - Extensions to existing private group water schemes and new Group Water Schemes

Funding is available, under two sub-measures, where a public water supply network is not available or planned and individual domestic water supplies (private wells) are not a sustainable and viable option for:

• (a)extensions to existing PriGWS - distribution network; or
• (b)the establishment of new PriGWS - source development, water treatment, storage and distribution network.

Measure A6 – Taking-in-charge of group water schemes and group sewerage schemes

Funding is available, under four sub-measures, for existing PriGWS and public group water schemes (PubGWS) to upgrade their distribution network to the basic standard for taking-in-charge by Uisce Éireann for:

• (a)Quality deficiency PriGWS
• (b)Quality compliant PriGWS and active PubGWS
• (c)Moribund (‘orphan’) PubGWS
• (d)Group sewerage schemes.

Measure A7 - Community Water Connections and Community Waste Water Connections

Funding is available, under two sub-measures, for local authorities to develop:

• (a)Community Water Connections
• (b)Community Waste Water Connections (complete existing funding commitments only)

The focus is on locations where the expansion by extensions off the public water and waste water services network is based on need i.e. human health and environmental, and are technically and economically viable.

Measure A8 - Waste water collection and treatment needs for villages and settlements without access to public waste water services

The Minister approved projects under this measure on 7 December 2023.

Measure A9 - Innovative demonstration projects

Funding is available, under two sub-measures, for new and innovative approaches and solutions for the Rural Water Sector for:

• (a)new technology and innovative solutions for PriGWS; and
• (b)projects in the Rural Water Sector to support and help achieve the objectives of the Water Framework Directive and the Drinking Water Directive.

More information on the scope of these capital grants

Capital grant funding is also available for householders that are dependent on:

• individual wells (more commonly known as private or household wells); and
• Domestic waste water treatment systems (more commonly known as septic tanks)

Households dependent on these services can obtain funding support for their improvement, subject to the terms and conditions, by applying to their local authority for a grant at any time. For information on funding or application forms, please contact the Rural Water Liaison Officer in your local authority.

Administered by local authorities, the Programme also aims to assist - through the payment of an annual subsidy - with some of the day-to-day costs of group water schemes.

An annual subsidy per house is available to group schemes for the operational cost of providing domestic water:

• up to €115 per house supplied from a public (Uisce Éireann) source
• up to €231 per house supplied from a private source (well, lake, borehole)
• the cost per house where water disinfection and/or 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 advance to and progress an amalgamation and/or rationalisation strategy involving their merger into a new entity.

This is a new funding measure under the Multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2022-2025 for the Waste Water Collection and Treatment needs of Villages/Settlements that do not have access to these Public Waste Water Services.

The first phase of funding under this new measure will focus on areas of most need. Villages and similar settlements identified as priority locations based on housing and environmental needs or on an exceptional basis, villages and similar settlements where in the opinion of the local authority, a requirement has been identified.