The Department of the Environment says it has initiated a review of water-quality testing in rural areas but denies that it has directed local authorities to find a cheaper monitoring service.
The review of monitoring on private group water schemes has been initiated in the context of the new Drinking Water Regulations, according to the Department. Quality checks on schemes supplying communities of more than 50 people will be examined by its National Rural Water Monitoring Committee, the Department says.
There are 1,531 schemes in the State. The Department stresses any testing will be impartial and independent, and will be subject to ISO standards. It issued its statement as a dispute between Galway County Council and the Western Health Board (WHB) over water testing took a new twist.
The council said it was making "alternative arrangements" for testing public water supplies, because the WHB had refused to do it. A spokeswoman for the WHB denied it had cancelled any service but confirmed it was reviewing its entire agency agreement with the local authority.
The row between the council and the WHB arose earlier this week over a council decision to cancel testing by WHB environmental health officers of more than 200 group water schemes. This figure rose to 276 yesterday, when the health board confirmed it had received a further communication from the local authority.
The WHB said it had received no explanation for the decision but confirmed that the local authority owed it €380,000 for the service. The WHB had carried out independent testing of water supplies for the local authority for more than 30 years.
But the council appeared to point the finger at the Department of the Environment yesterday. In a statement, it said the Department had informed it that it was going to arrange for sampling of many group water schemes. Meanwhile, the Department told The Irish Times that the council had put the service out to tender and had received a cheaper bid. The WHB said it was not asked to tender.
The Department denied there was a specific directive to local authorities to find a cheaper service. A spokesman said water quality testing was done on an agency basis for local authorities by a number of bodies, including health boards and the Environmental Protection Agency. However, some local authorities, including Roscommon and Donegal, carried out their own testing, the spokesman said.