Opening Statement
Prepared for
JOINT OIREACHTAS COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT,
TRANSPORT, CULTURE AND THE GAELTACHT
Tuesday 25th October, 2011
PRINTED COPIES AVAILABLE
Mr. Dara Lynott
Acting Director General
Environmental Protection Agency
Delegation
Mr Dara Lynott, Acting Director General, Environmental Protection Agency
Mr Gerard O Leary, Programme Manager, Office of Environmental Enforcement (OEE)
Introduction
First of all, I would like to thank you Mister Chairman, for inviting the Environmental
Protection Agency to assist this committee in formulating its views on the quantity,
quality, infrastructure and cost of water. I am joined here to-day by Mr. Gerard O
Leary, Programme Manager for the Office of Environmental Enforcement. At the
end of this opening statement, we would be happy to answer any questions that you
might have and if we are unable to provide answers today I will arrange for the
relevant information to be forwarded to the Committee.
The Role of the EPA
As you are aware, the Environmental Protection Agency is an independent statutory
body, established in 1993 under the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992,
with a wide range of responsibilities including regulation of large scale industrial and
waste facilities, monitoring and reporting on the state of the environment, overseeing
local authorities’ environmental responsibilities, coordinating environmental research
in Ireland, promoting resource efficiency and regulating Ireland’s greenhouse gas
emissions. The work of the EPA is carried out by its four Offices:




Office of Environmental Enforcement
Office of Climate, Licensing and Resource Use
Office of Environmental Assessment
Office of Communications and Corporate Services
The EPA has a number of specific and defined roles in relation to drinking water these
are as follows:
Drinking Water Quality
The EPA is the supervisory authority over the 34 local authorities that collectively
manage almost 900 public water supplies. This statutory obligation is set out in
regulations that were brought in in 2007. Prior to 2007 the EPA had no enforcement
role in relation to drinking water. However, prior to 2007 and since then the Agency
publishes an annual report on the quality of public water supplies and group water
schemes.
Strategic Environmental Assessment
The EPA is a statutory Environmental Authority under the Strategic Environmental
Assessment Regulations. The EPA’s role in SEA in relation to National and strategic
Plans focuses on promoting full integration of the findings of the Environmental
Assessment and other related matters into these Plans. The Agency’s functions do not
extend to either approving or enforcement of the Plans.
Hydrometric Monitoring data
The EPA is the lead agency in providing low and medium flow hydrometric data to
Local Authorities and consultants to assist in their application for authorisations for
developments, such as sewage works and water abstractions. The EPA is also the
lead agency in collecting and analysing groundwater level data. This data is collected
and provided to local Authorities so that they can:
1
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Monitor existing drinking water abstractions.
Plan and design future sustainable drinking water abstractions.
Assess the risk of drought to water supplies.
Assess the ecological impacts of abstractions.
Evaluate the potential impact of climate change.
The statutory role of the EPA does not include:





The strategic planning of water resources in Ireland.
The quantification of water volumes available or lost.
Water Abstraction licensing.
Environmental Impact Assessment of water schemes.
Regulation of the cost to consumers for drinking water.
Ireland’s Water Supply
In Ireland 88% of the population obtains its drinking water from sources treated by a
Local Authority and 6% of the population receive its drinking water from sources
treated by private individuals or groups. The remainder are exempt because they do
not supply water as part of a public or commercial service. As a country we are
heavily reliant on surface waters for our drinking water with 82% coming from that
source and the remainder from groundwater and springs. This level of reliance on
surface water is unique in Europe as is the number of water supplies. There are 952
supplies in Ireland; this far exceeds the number of supplies in most other European
countries. The majority of these supplies are small (<5,000 people served). It is
worth noting that the quality of our larger supplies (> 5,000 people served) compares
well with drinking water quality in other EU countries.
Drinking Water Quality in Ireland
We will publish our next national drinking water report in a few weeks. This will
show further positive outcomes for drinking water quality since the EPA took on
responsibility in 2007. The report will include an assessment of the safety and
security of drinking water supplies against the relevant quality standards and also an
overview of enforcement activities undertaken by the EPA’s Office of Environmental
Enforcement. The Report is based upon the results of 240,000 monitoring tests
carried out on 952 public water supplies, 830 public group water schemes, 588 private
group water schemes and 888 small private supplies. We will be happy to forward a
copy of this report to the Committee and to return to the Committee to address the
issues raised in that report.
The focus of the EPA has been to work towards a safe and secure drinking water
supplies. We do this by working with local authorities, the DECLG and the HSE to:
1) Assess the risk to the source of water supplies, drinking plants, storage and
distribution networks.
2) Manage the Risk associated with supplies that have inadequate treatment
barriers.
2
3) Communicate any risks by informing consumers of the quality of their water
supply on an ongoing basis.
4) Up-skill operators and managers of drinking water treatment plants by
publishing numerous guidance documents and developing relevant training
programmes.
5) Conserve water by reducing Ireland’s high leakage rates so that water is
available for future uses and the use of current treatment infrastructure is
maximised.
Remedial Action List
As part of its supervisory role over Public Water Supplies, the EPA prepares a list of
supplies where remedial action or management action is required to ensure
compliance with the requirements of the drinking water standards. This list is called
the “Remedial Action List for Public Drinking Water Supplies” (RAL). The EPA
uses the RAL to focus attention on resolving any deficiencies in public water supplies
and to ensure that Water Services Authorities (WSA)prepare and implement an action
programme for each public water supply on the list.
The RAL was first prepared by the EPA in 2008 and included 339 public water
supplies that required examination from source to consumer to determine whether
replacements or upgrades were needed. Since then, 49% (i.e. 166) of supplies on the
original RAL have been removed from the RAL because the necessary remedial
actions have been completed. The EPA expects that remedial works will be complete
in a further 100 supplies on the original RAL by the end of 2011 meaning that some
80% of supplies on the original RAL are scheduled for completion by the end of
2011.
The EPA has advocated a Safe and Secure (see diagram on next page) approach to
drinking water to achieve the goal of clean and wholesome water. This approach
involves characterisation of all risks associated with a supply and is consistent with
the Water Safety Plan approach promoted by the World Health Organisation. The first
Water Safety Plan was completed by Galway City Council in 2010. The Goal for the
EPA is to have every major water supplier in the country develop to have in place
such a plan.
In Conclusion
Clean Drinking water is vital to sustain our health and wellbeing and is relied upon by
those involved in the services and manufacturing and tourism industries. There is a
need for sustained investment in infrastructure to continue the improvements reported
in recent years in the quality of drinking water. Sustained investment in environmental
infrastructure to deliver clean drinking water during these tough economic times will
provide the platform for sustainable development into the future. I hope I have given
the Committee an overview of the EPA role in the regulation of drinking water. I am
happy to answer any questions the Committee members may have for me.
3
4
5