Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 June 2013
634. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there is a provision in the legislation that set up Irish Water for a statutory requirement for water pressure in homes; if there is a requirement to keep lime at a certain level in areas that currently have high levels of lime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27779/13]
View answerThe Government has decided that Irish Water, a new State-owned water company to be established as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group, will be responsible for the metering programme for households connected to public water supplies. The Water Services Act 2013 assigns the necessary powers to allow Irish Water to undertake the metering programme. There are no legal provisions in relation to water pressure levels.
The quality of water is very much dependent on local geological conditions and the source of the water supply. Under the European Communities (Drinking Water) (No. 2) Regulations, 2007, all suppliers of drinking water are required to ensure that the water supplied is wholesome and clean. Water suppliers are required to comply with the chemical and microbiological paramaters set out in the Regulations. Hard water is not included as a parameter in the quality standards specified in the Regulations, as it does not pose as a threat to human health, nor indeed are the substances associated with hard water, such as lime, calcium and magnesium.
