Written answers

Wednesday, 11 March 2009

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

Water Quality

8:00 pm

Photo of Michael D HigginsMichael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 66: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he has taken to ensure drinking water throughout the country is of good quality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10148/09]

Photo of Eamon GilmoreEamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he has taken to improve the drinking water infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10147/09]

Photo of John GormleyJohn Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 93 together.

Management of public drinking water supplies is generally the responsibility of the local authorities, which have a range of instruments and measures available to them to produce and conserve sufficient supplies to meet anticipated needs and to ensure quality standards. The quality of individual supplies is monitored by the EPA and its most recent report "The Quality of Drinking Water in Ireland — A Report for the Years 2006 and 2007" is available in the Oireachtas Library.

I have put in place a rigorous supervisory framework to ensure good quality drinking water is provided and that effective mechanisms are available to deal quickly and effectively with problems where they arise. Under the European Communities (Drinking Water) (No. 2) Regulations 2007, local authority drinking water supplies are subject to supervision by the EPA and I have given the Agency the necessary resources to back up its new enforcement powers.

Under the drinking water regulations, local authorities are obliged to ensure that any failure to meet quality standards in a water supply is investigated immediately to determine the cause. The authority is required to consult with the Health Service Executive to determine whether there is a potential danger to human health, and, if there is, to agree the appropriate action, including the prompt notification of consumers. In the case of public supplies, a local authority is also obliged to inform the EPA promptly and the EPA can issue such directions to a local authority as necessary to prevent or remove any health risk. Failure to comply with such a direction is an indictable offence and subject to heavy penalties.

In addition, my Department coordinates and finances a major programme of investment in improved water supply infrastructure, active leakage control, telemetry and rehabilitation of watermains, on which some €1.6 billion has been invested by the Government in the period since 2000. This level of investment reflects the priority assigned by Government to meeting EU standards for drinking water and providing critical water supply infrastructure.

The schemes included in the current Water Services Investment Programme are derived mainly from the assessments of needs undertaken by all local authorities, at my Department's request, as an input to the overall strategy for meeting water services infrastructural requirements. Among the criteria local authorities are required to take into account in preparing assessments of needs are compliance with national and EU drinking water standards, including reports produced by the EPA annually in relation to drinking water quality.

The Water Services Act, 2007, provides for preparation of a strategic water services plan by each water services authority for its area at least every 6 years. Such plans will set out current and projected water services needs and identify the required responses. This process will ensure that water services planning is appropriately integrated with planning for investment in social and economic development. The relevant provisions will be brought into force as soon as related guidelines and training are available.

I am satisfied that the policies and resources in place will ensure that our water supplies are capable of meeting the required quality standards and current and anticipated demands.

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