John Gormley
Ceist:225 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the increasing contamination of Irish water supplies; and when figures for 1997 will be available. [10676/98]
Written Answers. - Water Supply Contamination.
The Environmental Protection Agency's report on the quality of drinking water in Ireland in 1996, with a review of the period 1994-6, confirms the fundamentally good quality of Irish drinking water. The report records compliance levels of close to or above 99 per cent in respect of health related parameters other than coliforms. In the case of coliforms, there was a small increase in compliance in 1996, to 87.85 per cent, in comparison with the previous two years. However, the report highlights the continued difficulties being experienced with this parameter in the more vulnerable private group and small private supplies.
A range of measures was introduced by my Department in 1997 to deal with water quality problems in these supplies. Measures include grant assistance for new group water schemes, the upgrading and taking in charge of existing group water schemes and grants to householders to install or upgrade private piped supplies. Over £20 million was spent on these measures in 1997 and a provision of £28.15 million has been made for further expenditure in this regard in my Department's 1998 Estimates. In addition, the National Rural Monitoring Committee was launched on 5 May 1998 to advise on national policy on rural water services and report on implementation of the range of measures aimed at correcting deficiencies in rural supplies. One of the committee's key functions is to consider and approve a model strategic rural water plan which will provide a blueprint for upgrading and renewal of rural water supply systems into the next millennium.
I understand that the EPA is collecting and collating the data on the quality of water supplies in 1997, and that its report will be published later this year.