Private Water Supplies
Private water supplies are any supplies of water not provided by the public water supplier, notably Northern Ireland Water.
In Northern Ireland less than one per cent of water comes from private water supplies.The Drinking Water Inspectorate is responsible for the implementation of the Private Water Supplies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 and is helped in this role by the Environmental Health departments of the district councils.
The regulations apply to private supplies that serve more than one household for purely domestic purposes, or are used in commercial food production.
Commercial food production includes making, processing, preserving, preparing, or marketing, of food or drink (including water) for sale for human consumption.
The Inspectorate holds a register of all known private water supplies in Northern Ireland that come under the Private Water Supplies Regulations. The register includes details on site location, description of the source, purpose for which the water is used, volume used, and any treatment of the supply.
A monitoring programme is in place for registered private water supplies based on the volume of water used.
For details on current registered private water supplies and a summary of the drinking water quality of these supplies refer to the annual reports produced by the Drinking Water Inspectorate.
To register a new private water supply, please complete and return the registration form (.PDF 117Kb)
.
If you have any queries concerning your private water supply, contact the Drinking Water Inspectorate or the Environmental Health department of your local council.
