Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the estimated volume and cost of water lost through leakages in the water pipe network nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42532/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's National Water Study audited 91 water supply schemes outside the Greater Dublin Area serving more than 5,000 consumers and operated by some 38 local authorities. The study reported on all aspects of water supply, including availability of raw water, treatment capacity, water distribution systems and associated management issues. The study report published in 2000 found, inter alia, that unaccounted for water levels varied significantly between regions but were generally in the range of between 40% to 50%. The corresponding figure in the Dublin region in 1996 was 42.5%.

There are variations in the production costs of water between local authorities. In addition, not all unaccounted for water is lost through leakage. Heretofore, a significant proportion would have related to unauthorised or unrecorded connections. However, the universal metering of all non-domestic consumers, which is expected to be completed in 2007, coupled with ongoing improvements in local authorities' water management systems, will, in addition to further reducing unaccounted for water levels, significantly improve the range of data available in this area. In the meantime, detailed information in relation to the cost of water leakage nationally is not available in my Department.

In 1996 capital funding was introduced under my Department's Water Services Investment Programme to help reduce unaccounted for water levels in local authority distribution networks, to improve the quality of supply to consumers, to lower operating costs and to maximise the value of investment in new treatment works. A series of pilot schemes to identify potential improvements, as well as some network rehabilitation, was undertaken. Project locations included Dublin, Cork, Galway, Waterford, Limerick, Athlone and Clonmel. Capital funding of €63m was provided by my Department. The results showed that the levels of unaccounted for water were reduced considerably. For example, in Dublin they fell from 42.5% to 28.7%, in Donegal from 59% to 39%, in Meath from 47% to 34% and in Kilkenny from 45% to 29%.

A further €281m is now available to local authorities to identify and reduce unaccounted for water in public supply networks. The bulk of this allocation, €194m, is for network rehabilitation or replacement works by authorities that have already carried out water management system studies under the earlier pilot phase. The balance of €87m will enable the remaining authorities to complete water management system studies as a necessary precursor to structural rehabilitation works. In November 2005, I increased the recoupment available to local authorities from my Department for certain water conservation activities from 75% to 90% to encourage and facilitate greater progress on water conservation generally. Details of current allocations to individual authorities for water conservation measures are set out in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2005-2007 which is available in the Oireachtas Library.