Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 505: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has commissioned or received a report or briefing documents in regard to water supply and consumption in the Greater Dublin Area; his views on the growth of consumption in recent years; his plans to modify the building regulations to place greater emphasis on water conservation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17358/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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A number of regional water studies are being carried out by Dublin City Council with funding under my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2005-2007. These include investigations of potential additional short and long-term water sources for the region. I understand that the Dublin Water Supply Strategic Storage Study, also funded under the Water Services Programme, has recently been completed by the City Council and will shortly be submitted to my Department.

Following an earlier strategic assessment of water needs in the Dublin region, funding for leak detection works and other measures to improve the management of water supplies in the region was provided under my Department's Water Services Investment Programme as part of the Dublin Region Water Conservation Project. Between 1996 and 2000, unaccounted for water levels in the region were reduced from 42% to below 29%. The local authorities themselves have since assumed ongoing responsibility for leakage detection and repair as an operational function.

A further allocation of €118.3 million has been provided for structural rehabilitation of defective and unserviceable water mains in the region as part of a national water conservation sub-programme being funded under the Water Services Investment Programme. Dublin City Council, acting as lead authority, has now appointed consultants to produce contract documents and to oversee the implementation of the relevant works in the region.

The reductions achieved in unaccounted for water and leakage, together with infrastructural schemes completed, under construction or in planning, will ensure the availability of adequate water supplies to meet the needs of the Dublin region in the medium term. For example, recently completed interim upgrade to the Ballymore Eustace Water treatment Plant has secured 22 million litres per day. A further planned expansion of this scheme will increase capacity by an additional 44 million litres per day.

I understand that local authorities in the Dublin region have, in recent years, made bye-laws, under the Local Government Act 1994, relating to the management and conservation of drinking water. The Building Regulations set out the legal requirements for sanitary installations, including toilets, in all areas. I propose to amend Part G of the Regulations to increase efficient use of water by requiring dual flush toilets in new buildings. I intend, in consultation with the Building Regulations Advisory Body, to publish proposals for comment before the end of 2006.

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 507: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he intends to provide funding for a new drinking water reservoir on land (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17360/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Stage 1 of the West Wicklow Water Supply Scheme, which will provide an improved quality water supply for consumers in Blessington and surrounds, is approved for funding in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2005-07.

The Preliminary Report for the scheme submitted to my Department by Wicklow County Council identified three sites as potentially suitable for the location of the new storage reservoir to serve Blessington. The Preliminary Report ultimately recommended the Deerpark site at the edge of the Glending quarry as the most advantageous of the three for a number of reasons, including proximity to the supply area, eligibility for Part 8 planning, availability for acquisition by agreement and ability to accommodate future expansion of water supply services in the Blessington area.

Local authorities are responsible for the design and planning of individual water services projects, including site identification, assessment and acquisition. My Department's role in relation to approved projects is to ensure that they are technically and economically robust, that public procurement requirements are properly observed and that the design of the scheme reflects the intended objectives. The Department is not involved in site selection.

Nevertheless, because of illegal dumping and previous planning issues associated with the Deerpark site, I wrote to the County Manager in November 2005 seeking assurances that the Elected Members had been made aware of the three options which were available for the reservoir location, that they were aware of the history of the Deerpark site and that they had given their approval to it. The Manager's response indicates that the Elected Members had considered all three options and had adopted the Deerpark site as the preferred solution at a special meeting of the Council 20 March. It also advises that the Deerpark site has been endorsed by the Blessington and District Forum, is located 600 metres from, and is 25 metres higher than ground levels at, the nearest illegal landfill and that the provision of a closed water storage reservoir with inlet and outlet pipework on the site poses zero risk to water quality in supply.

I understand that, in presenting the options to the Elected Members and to the Blessington and District Forum, the Council indicated that either of the other two locations would, inter alia, necessitate site acquisition by Compulsory Purchase Order, require planning permission from another local authority, have greater visual impact, be more difficult to access and would carry higher cost risks due to site conditions, archaeology, etc. I also understand that the Council estimated that moving the reservoir from Deerpark to either of the other two locations would delay completion of the water supply scheme by at least 14 months.

My Department is now reviewing the Preliminary Report for the West Wicklow Water Supply Scheme in light of the Council's response and a decision will be conveyed to the Council as soon as possible.