Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 1436: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to address the issue of leakages in the water pipeline network and the proposed amounts allocated for same. [33139/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Water conservation is a key element of my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2012, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library. The primary objective of water conservation is to reduce water loss in the distribution networks to an economic level and to address unacceptably high levels of unaccounted for water. Local authorities are required to give top priority to water conservation works as an alternative to new infrastructure provision.

Mains rehabilitation is an integral part of local authority water conservation strategies, whereby water distribution pipelines are relined or replaced, and is a key priority under the 2010-2012 Programme. Last year, at my Department's request, local authorities carried out assessments of needs to review and prioritise their proposals for new capital works, including mains rehabilitation works, in their areas.

In their needs assessments, local authorities identified mains rehabilitation works with a value of some €320 million which have been included in the new Programme as contracts due to commence over the period of the Programme. Funding is particularly targeted at areas where the level of unaccounted for water is unacceptably high. Over time, this investment should lead to marked reductions in unaccounted for water and progress will continue to be monitored on an annual basis through the local authority service indicator process.