Written answers

Thursday, 15 September 2011

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Water Quality

5:00 pm

Photo of Jonathan O'BrienJonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 22: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to any breaches of international limits for trihalomethanes in public water supplies here currently being analysed by the Environmental Protection Agency; if his further attention has been drawn to the fact that these are carcinogenic chemicals; his plans to address this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24103/11]

Photo of Phil HoganPhil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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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 indicates 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.

Trihalomethanes, particularly chloroform as it is the dominant compound, are classified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as "possibly carcinogenic to humans". The EPA recently stated, in response to a media report on this issue, 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.

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