Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 5 November 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government

Issues Affecting the Quality of Water: Discussion

Photo of Anthony LawlorAnthony Lawlor (Fine Gael)
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I have little or no faith in the EPA following a previous incident in Kerdiffstown about which it had been warned on numerous occasions and that has since cost the State €21 million. A certain amount of cryptosporidium will be in the water, having come from the plant, because it is not possible to get rid of it all. Is the EPA satisfied with the range of levels of contamination that has been set?

Does the EPA do any testing of the water that comes into the plant before it is treated? I ask because one of the largest treatment plants in the country is upstream of the Osberstown treatment plant, which might have an impact.

Am I correct that the plant in Leixlip is self-regulatory? I mean that Irish Water controls the plant and the EPA does not post people there on a permanent basis. Is the EPA happy with that or does it believe it should have someone on-site at all times?