Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 828: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps which have been taken to deal with the ever increasing problem of methane gas emanating from sewerage treatment plants or pipelines; the potential environmental damage arising therefrom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22774/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I understand that methane gas is not produced in the collection of municipal waste water or in the waste water treatment process itself. Sludge is a waste water treatment by-product and the generation of methane gas for use as a fuel may be a beneficial feature of sludge treatment, in particular anaerobic digestion. Sludge treatment facilities should not release methane into the environment in the course of normal operation.

Local authorities are responsible for the operation and maintenance of public waste water infrastructure and for resolving any shortcomings in performance. Where capital works are required to attain the required level of performance, applications for funding by local authorities under my Department's water services investment programme are considered in light of the individual authority's identified water services priorities at the time.