Moves to improve the quality of drinking water supplied by group schemes are to be expanded, Minister for the Environment Mr Noel Dempsey said today.
An environmental report on the quality of drinking water in the State has shown the standard of supply from group schemes is significantly inferior to that offered by local authorities.
Although 94 per cent of local authority supplies were within safety limits, only 60 per cent of group schemes were compliant, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) report, The Quality of Drinking Water in Ireland.
"The major drive to tackle quality deficiencies in this sector [group schemes] is being maintained and expanded. All areas are under scrutiny," Mr Dempsey said.
The minister said a pilot water-improvement scheme begun in Co Roscommon would be extended to other counties and that a certificated quality-assurance scheme has been introduced for group schemes.
"This effort is being underpinned by the a commitment of €644 million under the National Development Plan 2002-2006 and a radically improved scheme of grants for upgrading schemes and providing essential water treatment and disinfection facilities," the minister said.
The EPA report monitored supplies around Ireland for 2000 and took samples from over 936 public supply systems and 1,623 group supplies.
Group systems are typically run by local users’ committees and serve small, often isolated, groups of houses. They provide 7 per cent of the State’s drinking water.