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Water Supply

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 July 2020

Tuesday, 14 July 2020

Ceisteanna (383)

Matt Carthy

Ceist:

383. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of lead connections as determined by the Environmental Protection Agency that require replacing by county and available smaller geographical unit in tabular form. [15709/20]

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Freagraí scríofa

With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels including the delivery of water services capital infrastructure, while the local authorities remain responsible for private water supplies.

Lead in drinking water is both the responsibility of water suppliers and property owners. Irish Water is responsible for lead pipework in the public water distribution network. This is known as public-side lead. Lead plumbing in buildings and within property boundaries is a matter for the property owner. This is known as private-side lead.

In May 2017 Irish Water estimated that lead pipework existed in approximately 180,000 residential properties in Ireland as well as in many commercial and public buildings. While there are no lead water mains in Ireland, service connections within properties can contain traces of lead. The vast majority of lead pipes are contained within properties built up to and including the 1970s.

A National Strategy to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water was published in June 2015. In response to the recommendations of this strategy, Irish Water prepared a detailed Lead in Drinking Water Mitigation Plan to identify measures to mitigate the risks to human health posed by the presence of lead in drinking water. The Plan proposes to remove all public lead service connection pipes over a ten year programme (i.e. by the end of 2026).

Irish Water have also put in place an interim water treatment programme to protect consumers from lead exposure while this replacement programme is implemented. According to the recent EPA report, Drinking Water Quality in Public Supplies 2019, by the end of 2019 17% of all public side lead connections had been replaced.

My Department has introduced a grant scheme to assist owners of premises connected to a domestic water supply with the costs of replacing lead piping or related fittings located within the internal distribution system of the premises, as defined in the Water Services Act 2007. The grant is administered by local authorities and information on how to apply for this grant is available from the relevant authority and on my Department’s website at the following link: https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/leaflet_-_grant_to_replace_lead_pipes_and_fittings.pdf.

Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. Further detail in relation to the extent of lead within the public network should be sought from Irish Water. Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on a dedicated number, 1890 578 578.

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