In Ireland, while mains water services many households, there are a lot of homes that use well water. Well water isn’t treated by public services, and so it is down to the owners of the house to look after it. That said, well owners may not need to bear the cost alone; many of them will be eligible for the well-water grant.
Before we get into it, if you are on well water, it is imperative to get a full water test before installing any water filtration system. Even with that, you should also get a full water test every few years; the heavy rainfall in Ireland can move around minerals and silt, which means what affects your water one year might be different the following year. Strangely enough, members of a household can get used to drinking water that would make other people sick; because of this, well owners should take caution when offering visitors water to drink.
Who is eligible for a well-water grant?
You may be eligible for a well-water grant if you meet these conditions:
- Your house is over seven years old;
- The grant is for the applicant’s primary resident;
- The cost of the proposed work is for €750 or more;
- The house location is not in an area that is serviceable by Irish Water or a group water scheme;
What does the well-water grant cover?
Your well-water grant will cover either 85% of well-rehabilitation works for up to €3,000. It can also cover 85% of the cost of provisioning a new well up to a maximum of €5,000. The second option also requires that the housing authority agree that it is the most appropriate solution.
Along with the above, there is also a grant for improving the quality of water. You can apply for this part of the grant by itself. Alternatively, you can apply for it in addition to the rehabilitation or provisioning of a new well. This part of the funding covers 100% of the cost of the water system up to €1,000.
What does the grant NOT cover?
It’s important to note that the well-water grant does not cover the cost of a water softener. Instead, you would use it for filtering out Iron or Manganese using an Iron Filter. Alternatively, you could get a Crystal Rite Filter that will primarily do Iron but also filters out hardness, and the grant covers it.
You can click here to download the application for the well-water grant on the Department of Housing website.
At Perfect Water Systems, we have helped over 2,500 of our customers apply for well-water grants. If you are considering applying for a well-water grant, please get in touch with us for any advice or assistance on the well-water grant application.
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