Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 May 2004
376 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps an ordinary citizen can take to ensure that their water supplies are safe to drink; the person they should contact to have the water tested; if there is a cost attached; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15725/04]
View answerDetailed information on the quality of drinking water is available in the reports published annually by the EPA on the quality of drinking water in Ireland. The reports are based on the results of monitoring carried out by local sanitary authorities, by local health boards and by the EPA and indicate the extent to which drinking water supplies comply with prescribed quality standards.
The EPA report for 2002 is based on the results of 219,234 individual tests carried out on 22,026 water samples taken from 886 public supplies and 1,913 private group schemes. It indicates a general level of compliance of 95.9% for all samples by reference to all 53 parameters prescribed by the relevant regulations. The EPA carries out audit monitoring of local sanitary authorities and exercises general supervision over the discharge by local authorities of their functions in regard to environmental protection. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland exercises supervision over bottled water, for example, natural mineral water and spring water, and water used in food premises.
Persons who are concerned about the quality of their water can seek advice from the supplier, the local sanitary authority, the health board for the area, the EPA or from any appropriate consultant or adviser in the private sector. Information on accredited laboratories and other services available for sampling of water and for analysis of water samples for various parameters, is available from local sanitary authorities, health boards and the EPA. Analysis of water samples can be carried out by local sanitary authorities or local health boards, which have appropriate in-house laboratory facilities or can be arranged by such an authority on behalf of a householder at an accredited laboratory. Water samples can also be submitted for analysis to the EPA's regional laboratories, the Dublin city analyst's laboratory or a laboratory in the private sector. The charges, which will apply for the provision of any such service, is a matter for the service provider.
