John Gormley
Question:225 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the increasing contamination of Irish water supplies; and when figures for 1997 will be available. [10676/98]
Vol. 490 No. 5
225 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the increasing contamination of Irish water supplies; and when figures for 1997 will be available. [10676/98]
The Environmental Protection Agency's report on the quality of drinking water in Ireland in 1996, with a review of the period 1994-6, confirms the fundamentally good quality of Irish drinking water. The report records compliance levels of close to or above 99 per cent in respect of health related parameters other than coliforms. In the case of coliforms, there was a small increase in compliance in 1996, to 87.85 per cent, in comparison with the previous two years. However, the report highlights the continued difficulties being experienced with this parameter in the more vulnerable private group and small private supplies.