Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senator for raising this issue, which relates to water conservation works, which are a priority under my Department's water services investment programme. The main objectives of the water conservation programme are to reduce water loss in the public supply networks; to obtain value for money by deferring capital expenditure on new water supply schemes through improved supply and reduced consumption; and to ensure environmental protection by deferring the need to develop new water sources.

There are three distinct stages to water conservation on public water supply schemes. First, a local authority must put in place a water management system that enables the authority to monitor water use and loss throughout the supply networks. Second, the authority must establish an active leakage control programme which involves locating and fixing leaks and, based on the results of these two stages, they must establish a prioritised pipe rehabilitation strategy for its area. The third and final stage is the rehabilitation and replacement of defective supply networks where repair has proven to be uneconomic due to the age or condition of the pipes.

Over the past decade funding has been provided to local authorities to carry out water conservation works, mainly for the first two elements I have outlined. It has led to reductions in unaccounted for water, improved knowledge of the condition of water distribution networks and consumption patterns and an improvement in the level and quality of supply to consumers. Exchequer spending on water conservation over the past ten years amounted to €168 million. This investment provides the platform for intensive investment in mains rehabilitation, which is a key priority under the Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2012. This programme is based on needs assessments carried out by local authorities who prioritised key contracts and schemes in this area; with a requirement to give top priority to water conservation works as an alternative to new infrastructure provision. A greater proportion of the funds available annually under the programme are being assigned specifically to water conservation works.

The programme, which was published in April 2010, was drawn up to deal with a number of environmental and economic priorities, including the need for increased water treatment capacity. The programme also places a greater emphasis on water conservation, providing for network rehabilitation contracts with a total value of €321 million to commence in the period 2010-2012. Reducing unaccounted for water is an important element in maximising the output from our water treatment plants and funding has been targeted at areas where the level of unaccounted for water is unacceptably high. As a general rule, and in the interests of securing best value for money from Exchequer investment, my Department does not authorise a local authority to undertake mains rehabilitation works unless it has largely implemented the water management and leakage control works necessary throughout its functional area and has completed its strategy for mains rehabilitation on a prioritised county-wide basis.

I understand water mains rehabilitation works in the Magheroarty area of Donegal are being prioritised by Donegal County Council for inclusion in the water mains rehabilitation project phase 1 contract, for which I have indicated that funding will be available under the Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2012. My Department is awaiting Donegal County Council's tender documents for the work, including details of all areas to be covered by these priority works. Once Donegal County Council's submission for the phase 1 water mains rehabilitation contract is received there will be no undue delay in my Department in ensuring that the work gets to construction in the shortest time.