Water Quality

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 February 2014

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Questions (516)

Seán Fleming

Question:

516. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the supply of water to households throughout the country by Irish Water; the specific standards that will be required in relation to the level of lime in the water; the measures that will be taken to reduce the lime content in water where persons receive the water from the public Irish water supply which can damage the piping and equipment in houses due to the lime content and persons are required to incur expenditure to install a system to reduce the lime content in the water and if this cost can be off-set against water charges; if he will outline the requirement on Irish Water to provide a similar quality of water to all houses in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8156/14]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for the operation of water services infrastructure and for the provision of drinking water in accordance with the European Communities (Drinking Water) (No.2) Regulations 2007, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas library. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as the water quality regulator, is the supervisory authority for public supplies under the Regulations.

Under the Regulations, suppliers of drinking water are required to ensure that the water supplied is wholesome and clean. Water which is wholesome and clean is defined as water which is free from any micro-organisms and parasites and from any substances which in numbers or concentrations constitute a potential danger to human health, and which meets the quality standards specified in the Schedule to the Regulations. Hard water and the minerals associated with hard water are not included as parameters in the quality standards specified in the Regulations as they do not pose as a threat to human health. Even though hard water is safe to drink and meets the required drinking water standards, some households may choose to soften their supply but this is a matter of personal choice.

Question No. 517 answered with Question No. 485.