Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 179: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the information he has on the use of asbestos-lined pipes used in distributing the drinking water supply throughout the country; and the amount of such piping that exists. [28456/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Asbestos cement piping formerly used in local authority water mains was required to meet the specifications defined in Irish Standard 188 and, in common with international practice, to include bitumen lining and coating. There is no health risk associated with drinking water supplied through asbestos cement pipes.

Local authorities are responsible for the operation and maintenance of their public water supply systems, and detailed information is not available in my Department on the amount of asbestos cement-cased piping in use in such systems. However, the 1996 greater Dublin water supply strategic study indicated that this form of piping accounted for about 11% of the water mains in the greater Dublin region at that time. With the availability of more robust materials, asbestos-cased cement piping is no longer used for water mains, and the proportion of such piping in the region would now be significantly less because of the extent of the new pipework that has been installed in the meantime.

Local authorities are currently compiling comprehensive data on their water supply networks that will include details on the type of pipework currently in place, and that process is expected to be completed by the end of 2006.