Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 519: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will provide details in relation to his Department's policy on charging for waste water going back into the public network by non-domestic users; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22767/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Local authorities are required to recover the cost of providing water services, including water supply and waste water collection and disposal, from the users of those services, other than households using the services for domestic purposes. This is in accordance with the polluter pays principle and the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive. The policy provides for full cost recovery without profit, with charges based on actual metered consumption.

Local authorities are required to set separate charges for water supply and waste water collection based on the actual cost of providing the particular service to the non-domestic sector within their functional areas. Where one service is utilised, only the charge pertaining to that service applies. In the majority of cases, both services are utilised and the charges are combined to cover water supply and sewage collection and disposal, on the basis of the "water in equals water out" principle. However, where there is a significant difference in the level of usage of the two services, a non-domestic consumer should discuss with the local authority whether it would be advantageous to meter separately its water usage and its waste water production.