Written Answers. - Water Supply Contamination.
David Stanton
Question:
883
Mr. Stanton
asked the
Minister for the Environment and Local Government
the aquifers here which have been identified and mapped; the measures in place to protect aquifers; the EU directives which apply to aquifers and which have been transposed to law or are about to be transposed to law; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[1088/03]
Where an activity that involves a risk to groundwater is being carried on by any person, that person carries primary responsibility for protecting the groundwater against pollution. It is an offence for a person to cause or permit polluting matter to enter waters, including an aquifer. Among public authorities, responsibility for the protection of groundwater is assigned primarily to local authorities under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts. Other functions for protection of aquifers are exercisable by local authorities under legislation such as the Waste Management Acts and the Planning and Development Acts. The EPA exercises general supervision under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 in relation to the performance by local authorities of their environmental protection functions, and has responsibility for groundwater protection in the context of its own licensing, monitoring and other functions.
Maps of aquifers in all member states, including Ireland, were published by the European Commission in 1982 at scale 1:500,000. The map for Ireland was prepared by the Geological Survey of Ireland. Work has been ongoing by GSI since then for the production of more detailed, modern maps at a scale of 1:50,000 as part of groundwater protection schemes being prepared by local authorities. Modern aquifer maps have been prepared for 13 counties, mapping of the remaining counties is ongoing by the GSI and will be completed by end-2004 as part of work being undertaken in river basin management projects for implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EEC).
The publication "Groundwater Protection Schemes" a copy of which is in the Oireachtas Library, was jointly published in 1999 by my Department, the GSI and the EPA and contains guidance for local authorities on the preparation of groundwater protection schemes to provide a systematic framework for the protection of these waters.
As part of its functions under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992, a national groundwater quality monitoring programme was established by the EPA in 1995 with the assistance of the local authorities. Data generated by the programme are included in the EPA reports "Water Quality in Ireland" for 1995-1997 and 1998-2000, copies of which are in the Oireachtas Library. The report for the period 1998-2000 indicates localised pollution of groundwater in certain areas but no widespread pollution of particular aquifers. Groundwater is monitored by EPA in association with the GSI at some 300 sampling points nationally. Monitoring is carried out twice a year, to coincide with groundwater levels at their lowest and highest levels.
Council Directive 80/68/EEC on the protection of groundwater against pollution caused by certain dangerous substances, the Groundwater Directive, is concerned with the protection of groundwater by means of an authorisation, licensing, system for discharges which may contain dangerous substances. The directive applies to a specified range of substances which could pose a serious threat to groundwater quality, through direct discharges to groundwaters or by indirect discharges arising form waste disposal operations or other activities. The groundwater directive has been transposed and implemented in Ireland mainly through the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts, the Waste Management Acts and related regulations.
The Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) (WFD) came into force on 22 December 2000 and addresses all inland and coastal waters, including groundwater, and all sources of water pollution. Proposals are being developed by the European Commission in accordance with Article 17 of the WFD for specific measures to be taken to prevent and control groundwater pollution. I refer to the reply to Question No. 417 on 10 December 2002 for detailed information on the measures being taken for implementation of the directive in Ireland.
