Small Schemes

County Councils are responsible for the planning, design and construction of all public schemes costing not more than €634,869. These schemes include upgrading of existing water and sewerage works and extensions to supply networks etc. Approximately six such schemes are carried out each year.

Small Schemes are 75% grant aided and the Council finances the remaining 25% of the cost from their own resources.

Capital Grants for Group Water and Sewerage Schemes

Group Schemes supply approximately 3,640 households (8% of rural population) with a piped water supply through 11no. existing group schemes which are currently in place in the county.

County Council's now administer the scheme of capital grants for independent group water and group sewerage schemes which was previously handled by the Department of the Environment and Local Government.

The following works are covered under this scheme:

All eligible works on new schemes or extensions of existing schemes, including planning and design costs, land acquisition, construction (civil works plus mechanical and electrical plant).
All eligible upgrading works on existing schemes, including upgrading or renewal of headworks, reservoirs and distribution networks.

The current grant limits for group schemes are as follows:

Group Water Scheme - €6,475.66 per house (subject to a limit of 85% of approved cost)
Group Sewerage Scheme - €2,031.58 per house(subject to a limit of 75% of approved cost)

Grants for Provision of Essential Water Disinfection and Filtration

Where a group scheme is dependant on a quality deficient private source and where there is no alternative public supply available, essential water disinfection and filtration equipment will be grant aided at up to 100% of cost providing this work is carried out under a DBO contract.

Take-over of Group Schemes

Funding is available under this scheme to cover the cost of upgrading existing schemes to a standard suitable for their taking-in-charge by Louth County Council.

Grants for the Improvement or Provision of Individual Water Supplies to Houses

This scheme of grants, which is administered by the County Councils, is available to persons who wish to:

provide a new piped domestic water supply, or
remedy serious deficiencies in an existing domestic supply where they cannot avail of either a public or group water supply.

Houses built less than 7 years do not qualify for this grant.

The amount of the grant is 75% of the approved cost of €2,031.58, whichever is lesser.

The scheme is 100% recoupable from the Department.

Application Form for Well Grant

Well Grant Explanatory Memorandum

Annual Subsidy Towards Operational Cost of Group Water Schemes

Group Water Schemes can now apply to the County Councils for an annual subsidy towards the operational and maintenance costs incurred in respect of domestic supplies only,

If the water is not up to standard the group must undertake, in conjunction with the Council, to prepare and implement a Water Improvement Plan in order to continue to avail of the subsidy.

The amount of the subsidy is 100% of qualifying expenditure subject to limits of:-

€101.58 for each house supplied from a private source
€ 50.79 for each house supplied from a local authority source
€196.81 for each house where water disinfection and/or treatment is provided under a Design, Build, Operate (DBO) contract or where the water disinfection/treatment plant is operated and maintained by a contractor by way of a bonafide Operational and Maintenance Contract.

In recognition of the additional cost of operating water disinfection and filtration, the operating subsidy for groups installing this equipment is €196.81 per annum.

A claim for payment of the subsidy by the Group after the end of the financial year must be accompanied by expenditure accounts providing details of actual cost incurred by the Group in supplying water for domestic purposes to it's members. A payment on account of the subsidy can be claimed in May of each year.