Is there a grant to improve a private water supply?

The grant is a Scottish Government scheme run by local councils, so in Ayrshire you apply to East, North or South Ayrshire Council's environmental health team. It is modest, but on a shared hill supply several households can pool it.

The key rule is timing. If the work has already started or finished, you can't claim, so speak to the council before anyone orders kit or digs a trench.

How much is the grant?

The figure is £800 per property. mygov.scot puts it as up to £800 per property, and adds that your council may be able to give extra funding if you have a low income.

That figure comes from regulation 8 of the Private Water Supplies (Grants) (Scotland) Regulations 2006, which sets the grant at the lower of £800 or the approved cost. legislation.gov.uk only holds the original 2006 text and lists no amendments, and mygov.scot and East and North Ayrshire Council quote £800 (checked November 2026).

What can it pay for?

The grant can go towards installing treatment, replacing lead pipes and putting in new water tanks. It can't pay for ongoing maintenance or for connecting to the mains.

Typical uses on an Ayrshire hill supply, especially one that runs brown after rain, are a UV unit with pre-filters, a sealed collection tank to keep sheep and run-off out, or new pipe from the source. Our page on whether you need a UV unit explains why filters normally come first.

Who can apply?

The supply must be the main or sole source of drinking water for the property, and it must need improving to make it safe. North Ayrshire puts it plainly: improvement grants of £800 per property are available where supplies fail the bacteriological or chemical standards.

You can't apply for a new house or building, a property also connected to the mains, or a building that will be demolished or isn't fit to live in. Citizens Advice Scotland notes that households sharing a supply can group their applications.

How often can we claim?

East Ayrshire Council says grants of up to £800 are available every five years. In North or South Ayrshire, ask the council about its timing rule.

A test result is often the starting point, since it shows what needs fixing. See who tests a private water supply for how that works and what it costs.

What to look at first

1. Is the private supply the main or only drinking water for the house?
2. Has the council tested it, and what failed?
3. Has any work already started? If so, the grant can't be used.
4. Do neighbours share the source and want to apply together?
5. Does your council run its own low-income top-up?

Yours to do, and theirs

You can

• Contact the council's environmental health team before booking any work.
• Gather recent test results and a sketch of the source, tank and pipe route.
• Talk to neighbours on a shared supply about a joint application.

Leave to them

• The council confirms eligibility and approves the costs.
• A water treatment specialist chooses and fits the treatment, as mygov.scot advises.
• The council or an accredited lab retests the water after the work.

In short

The grant is up to £800 per property, through your council, for treatment, tanks or lead pipe work on a supply that needs improving. Ask before work starts, because finished or started work doesn't qualify.

Also asked about this

Can a landlord apply for a holiday cottage on a spring?

The supply has to be the main or sole drinking water source and need improving. Ask the council, which administers the grant and confirms who is eligible.

Does the grant pay the installer directly?

mygov.scot doesn't say. The council will explain how and when it pays once it approves the application.

Can we use the grant to drill a new borehole?

The listed uses are treatment, lead pipe replacement and new tanks. Ask the council whether other work on an existing supply can be approved; new buildings are excluded.

Is the grant taxable or repayable?

The national pages don't mention repayment. Ask the council about any conditions attached to its offer.

Sources, checked 5 November 2026

1. mygov.scot — Apply for a private water supply grant
2. legislation.gov.uk — Private Water Supplies (Grants) (Scotland) Regulations 2006
3. gov.scot — Private water supplies policy
4. North Ayrshire Council — Water quality and pollution
5. East Ayrshire Council — Private water supplies
6. Citizens Advice Scotland — Private water supply registration and quality of supply
7. mygov.scot — Treating a private water supply