Galway, Mayo head up rural water aid winners
The funds will mainly go towards upgrading group water schemes.
The Government has committed to bring schemes that depend on private water sources, such as rivers, lakes and boreholes, up to the EU Drinking Water Directive standards, in response to the legal action instigated by the European Commission against Ireland in 2002.
About one third of all rural households receive their water supply from group water schemes. Group schemes are community owned and operated systems. About 60% of them are connected to local authority public supplies.
The remainder depend on private sources, such as rivers, lakes and boreholes, many of which do not meet drinking water requirements. The most recent Census returns show that around 46,000 rural households are supplied by this type of scheme.
New water treatment plants are being installed for some 240 rural group water schemes; 194 schemes are to get improved water disinfection equipment; and a further 190 groups will get connected to local authority public water supply networks.
“I am determined that lack of funding will not be a constraint to bringing privately sourced group schemes up to the drinking water standards”, said Environment Minister Dick Roche.
He confirmed that almost 40,000 rural households will soon benefit from quality drinking water from group schemes where installation of 234 new stand-alone water treatment plants is under way.
The rural water funding of €125m is broken down as follows by county: Carlow €3,640,000; Cavan €13,650,000; Clare €10,350,000; Cork North €2,270,000; Cork South €2,682,000; Cork West €2,350,000; Donegal 2,820,000; Galway €14,033,000; Kerry €3,220,000; Kildare €1,918,000; Kilkenny €2,000,000; Laois €2,815,000; Leitrim €4,170,000; Limerick €7,500,000; Longford €2,500,000; Louth €680,000; Mayo 17,500,000; Meath €2,075,000; Monaghan €5,270,000; North Tipperary €1,600,000; Offaly €1,543,400 Roscommon €3,200,000; Sligo €7,050,000; South Tipperary €1,110,000; Waterford€ 950,000; Westmeath €1,361,000; Wexford €2,317,000; and Wicklow €4,391,000.
