Wexford had the second highest number of boil water notices last year

Poor oversight of water supplies may be putting the health of many people at risk.

That's according to the Environmental Protection Agency after Wexford recorded the second highest boil water notice in the country in its latest report. In the EPA latest report into private water supplies it says water going into schools, hotels and creches from private supplies was inadequately monitored. The report Focus on Private Water Supplies 2016 showed that in County Wexford 33 boil water notices were issued the second highest in the country. The highest was in Wicklow which had 43 such notices. Gerard O'Leary from the EPA's Office of Environmental Enforcement said the safety and security of private water supplies must be improved or people are at risk of becoming ill. He called for increased monitoring of such supplies as they are at an increased risk of becoming contaminated.