Written answers

Tuesday, 28 September 2021

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Water Pollution

Photo of Alan FarrellAlan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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332. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the measures his Department is taking to ensure that safety issues regarding drinking water are quickly identified and communicated to relevant stakeholders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46045/21]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The European Union (Drinking Water) Regulations 2014 (S.I. No. 122 of 2014) requires that where a water supplier discovers a failure to meet the quality standards that person shall notify the relevant supervisory authority for that supply in accordance with such guidelines as the Agency may issue for that purpose.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified two serious incidents in recent weeks at drinking water plants serving Dublin City (Ballymore Eustace plant) and serving Gorey, Co. Wexford. This included, in the case of Gorey, illnesses detected by the HSE in the community served by that water supply. The EPA is continuing to investigate these incidents.

Additionally, I have also met with the Managing Director of Irish Water as well as both the Chief Executives of Dublin City Council and Wexford County Council on 18 September. I have requested Irish Water to immediately undertake an audit of each water treatment plant across the country to ensure that proper processes are in place in terms of dealing with and escalating any incidents which may arise.

I will meet again with Irish Water and the local authorities in question early next week to discuss the response to the above incidents.

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