For important advice on using private wells, see the attached information leaflet - private well info.
For further information on protecting your private well click here.
Individual Well Grant
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 relevant Regulations are Housing (Private Water Supply Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 (SI No. 192 of 2020).
Please note that this scheme does not apply to houses to which a Public Water Supply or a Group Water Scheme has already been provided or can reasonably be provided.
The key features of the scheme are:
- The grant payable for rehabilitation works is 85% of approved costs subject to a maximum of €3,000.00, where the housing authority agrees that this is the most appropriate solution.
- The grant payable for the provision of a new well is 85% of approved costs subject to a maximum of €5,000.00, where the housing authority agrees that this is the most appropriate solution.
- In recognising the role of the grant in improving water quality, the water quality treatment element (typically filtration and Ultra Violet treatment) qualifies for 100% funding up to a maximum of €1,000.00, where the housing authority agrees that this is the most appropriate solution. This can be claimed on its own or in addition to either the grant for rehabilitation works or the grant for a new well. This does not include water softeners in hard water areas.
- The minimum grant threshold is €750.00
How do I apply?
If there is no access to a Public Water Supply or a Group Water Scheme you may apply for a grant to bore / source your own well. The application forms and Terms & Conditions are available here.
The objective of the grant scheme is to assist households, dependent on private individual water supplies who are incurring capital expenditure to:
- provide a piped supply of water for domestic purposes, or
- remedy serious deficiencies in an existing supply of water for domestic purposes
Eligibility:
A person is eligible for a grant if they are:
- providing a piped supply of water to an existing house for the first time
or
- carrying out improvements to a seriously deficient existing piped supply of water to a house, where the supply of water concerned is from an existing well.
A person is not eligible for a grant if, in the opinion of the Local Authority:
- The house concerned is not occupied by the applicant as his/her normal place of residence (e.g. a holiday home)
- The house is at present connected or could be connected to a Public Water Supply or a Group Water Scheme.
- A grant for the provision or improvement of a water supply has been paid in the past 7 years.
Qualifying Works:
Works qualify under the scheme where they are undertaken to provide or improve a supply of water for domestic purposes in a house and they consist of one or more of the following:
- Drilling or commissioning a new well
- Rehabilitating an existing well, including deepening or relining an existing bore or the removal of silt
- The provision of facilities or equipment for the treatment of water
Works do not qualify if, in the opinion of the Local Authority:
- They have an approved cost of less than €750.00
- The proposed works would exceed what would be required to secure an adequate supply for domestic purposes
- They are carried out before the Local Authority’s inspection of proposed works.
Inspection of proposed works:
The Local Authority will carry out a prior inspection to:
- Determine eligibility and whether the proposed works qualify
- Establish, in the case where the application relates to the improvement of an existing supply, whether the supply is seriously deficient
PWS1a Application Form.docx (size 53.1 KB)
PWS1b Payment Claim Form.docx (size 49.4 KB)
PWS Grant Terms and Conditions.pdf (size 903 KB)
Should you have any queries please contact the Water Services Department in Offaly County Council on (057)93 57416 or email: environment@offalycoco.ie
Please note the following GDPR Notice
Privacy Notice
The Department is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Notice explains how the Department, as the Data Controller, will process the personal data provided to it in respect of the management and administration of these schemes of financial assistance; how that information will be used, and what rights you may exercise in relation to your personal data.
Frequently asked questions:
How much water will I need?
You should allow 230 litres (50 gallons) of water a day for each person in your household. Obviously a farm will require much more, varying from about 140 litres (30 gallons) a day for a dairy cow to about 20 litres (4 gallons) a day for 100 chickens. You must be sure that your well will be able to provide your daily water needs without going dry. For more advice, you should contact us directly.
How do I know the water is safe to use?
When your well is drilled, you should seal it against pollution and make sure it is disinfected. After a few days, you should send a sample of disinfected water from your well to the local Health Service Executive (HSE) for testing. It will then let you know whether your well water is up to drinking standards. If you find out that your water supply has been polluted by negligence, you should contact us. Offaly County Council has the authority to prosecute those responsible under the Local Government (Water Pollution Act), 1977.
