asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware of the widespread anxiety and inconvenience in Dublin arising from the discolouration and bad odour in domestic water supply and if he will assure and advise the public on the matter.
Private Notice Questions. - Dublin Water Supply.
I am not aware of widespread anxiety and inconvenience in Dublin mentioned by the Deputy. I understand, however, that in certain parts of Dublin the quality of the water supply is less than is desirable. I am concerned about this and I am asking the local authorities concerned for a full report on the matter. In the meantime I am assured that there is no health hazard involved and further understand that the city manager has undertaken, so as to allay any public disquiet, to have more tests carried out to confirm that the water supply is not a health hazard to the users.
The overloading of the Leixlip plant results in the water supply passing through the filtration system faster than it should, giving rise to water discolouration. The present alternative to overloading the situation would be to ration the supply, which is an undesirable option. Dublin County Council propose to increase the capacity of the Leixlip plant but the additional capacity will not come into operation until the end of 1985.
Will the Minister accept that this is the third occasion in a matter of three months where attention has been drawn to the fact that the water is polluted and has a bad odour? His own Department have notified me that they have been concerned and have endeavoured to identify it. A suspect area is the Newbridge sewage disposal works which is considerably overloaded and receives several industrial effluents. Secondly they are concerned because they have discovered that the disinfectant is used in the scheme for the eradication of bovine TB. That is in the Minister's own letter.
There is no health hazard involved and this has been communicated to me by the city manager. I accept that situation.
The city manager is not the expert in matters of health. The Minister indicated in his letter to me that he was still awaiting the report of the Minister for Health on the matter. Surely he is the person who should adjudicate on this, not the city manager.
(Interruptions.)
The city manager has had tests carried out by competent officials of the corporation and the county council and he is satisfied that there is no health hazard involved.
I am somewhat surprised that the Minister is not aware of this very serious problem. Is he aware that a number of samples of this very dirty looking brown water have been handed in to the engineering department? If so, will he tell the House the outcome of those tests?
The question concerns my awareness in relation to the whole city of Dublin. I am not aware that the inconvenience is widespread but I am aware that certain areas of the city are receiving discoloured water. This is not a health hazard. The answer to the problem is obviously to increase the capacity but that cannot be done before 1985. Contracts are at present being considered in my Department. We hope work will commence in May this year and be completed in May 1985. The other alternative is to reduce the amount of water.
(Interruptions.)