714 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he is satisfied that the drinking water for all parts of the country is safe and satisfactory and is compliant with the legal standards; if he is further satisfied that all household water supplied is adequately chlorinated or otherwise treated to ensure potability; if he is satisfied that all group water schemes are adequately monitored and assessed; his views on the frequency and level of maintenance and monitoring of such supplies; if his attention has been drawn further to the fact that two cases of contamination resulted in 600 cases of gastro-enteritis in 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1128/02]
Written Answers. - Water Quality.
Statutory responsibility for the provision of drinking water supplies and for upholding the prescribed quality standards rests with sanitary authorities. Stringent drinking water standards are prescribed in the European Com munities (Quality of Water Intended for Human Consumption) Regulations, 1988. The duty placed on sanitary authorities to take the necessary measures, including chlorination, to ensure that drinking water meets these standards is performed under the general supervision of the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. The most recent EPA report on water quality in Ireland, 1998-2000, is available in the Oireachtas Library. The report is based on the results of 141,955 individual tests on 22,801 samples of drinking water taken from 2,559 supplies.
The report concludes that the overall quality of drinking water from public supplies continues to be satisfactory. The EPA places a strong emphasis on the need to tackle deficiencies in a small number of public supplies which have been identified as frequently breaching water quality standards and calls on local authorities to adopt corrective action programmes in relation to the relevant water treatment plants. Future reports will highlight the extent to which deficiencies identified in EPA audits have been addressed. The National Development Plan, 2000-2006, provides for large-scale investment in water services, including a particular focus on the provision of additional water treatment and distribution capacity, the maintenance of water quality standards, water conservation and leakage reduction and network rehabilitation.
The EPA report acknowledges the water quality deficiencies affecting group water schemes, in particular on privately sourced schemes that supply some 5% of households nationally and highlights the Government's continuing commitment to achieve improved performance in the group sector.
During 2000 monitoring of group water schemes increased by 34% on average over 1999 levels for all parameters and by 76% for total and faecal coliforms. The major drive to tackle quality deficiencies in this sector is being maintained and expanded, with a focus on all areas of relevance – sources, distribution, analytical programmes and services, full definition of quality problems, management aspects, treatment options and costings. This is being underpinned by a commitment of 644 million, current prices, under the National Development Plan, 2000-2006 for the rural water programme and a radically improved grants scheme. Other measures being pursued in partnership with the National Federation of Group Water Schemes, NFGWS, include the establishment of the national rural water monitoring committee, the provision by my Department of financial support to the NFGWS and the introduction on a pilot basis of a quality assurance scheme for the group sector by the NFGWS with the backing of my Department.