Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 553: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to a recent environmental report which stated that nearly 600,000 consumers here are drinking tap water that contains excessive levels of trihalomethanes (details suppled); the steps he will take to ensure that this problem is addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23218/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the report referred to in the Question. Under the European Communities (Drinking Water) (No 2) Regulations 2007, drinking water must comply with a number of microbiological and chemical parameters. The Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for the supervision of drinking water supplies in Ireland. In February 2011 the EPA published The Provision and Quality of Drinking Water in Ireland - a Report for the Years 2008-2009. The report states that 15.6% of all samples covering 156 public and group supplies failed to comply with the parametric value for trihalomethanes. Trihalomethanes are formed in drinking-water primarily as a result of chlorination of organic matter present naturally in raw water supplies.

At the time of the media report, I understand that the EPA stated that the health risks from disinfection by-products, including trihalomethanes, are much less than the risk from consuming water that has not been disinfected. As part of its supervisory role under the Regulations, the EPA maintains a list of public water schemes where remedial action is required to address operational or infrastructure deficits. Schemes failing to meet the parametric value for trihalomethanes are placed on this remedial action list (RAL). My Department provides capital funding to local authorities for works required to address schemes on the RAL. Since 2008, €28m has been provided from the Rural Water Programme for this purpose.