Page 84 - Donegal CC An Rpt 19

Donegal County Council Annual Report 2019
A significant number of group water schemes operate across the county which are subject to compliance monitoring at the consumers’ tap. These include 4 private GWS, 6 Public GWS and 41 wholly private water supplies supplying a public/commercial activity.
The number of small private supplies with commercial interest monitored increased significantly in 2019. Results of compliance monitoring for these supplies were reported to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for 2019. Of the public GWS, one was removed in the latter part of the year by connecting to a public water supply. Another public GWS was formally taken over by IW before year end.
Donegal County Council secured approximately €2.7M in funding for the rural water sector in the county from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government under the Multi Annual Rural Water Programme 2019 to 2021.
The Council operates an annual subsidy scheme on behalf of the Department
as a contribution towards operational costs for GWS’s, a Well Grant Scheme for individual potable drinking water wells and a grant scheme for the refurbishment or replacement of domestic wastewater treatment plants.
Drinking Water Quality
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the supervisory authority for Irish Water (IW) in relation to public water services (PWS) whilst Donegal County Council is the supervisory authority for private supplies. Compliance Monitoring in the network was carried out by Irish Water’s framework laboratory for Public Water Supplies and by the Health Service Executive on behalf of Donegal County Council for Private Water Supplies.
In 2019, the microbiological compliance level in Donegal Public Water Supplies was 100%, while the overall compliance level (including chemical and indicator parameters) was 99.45%.
Three schemes were removed from the EPA’s Remedial Action List (RAL) during 2019, with only two supplies remaining at year end with one of these supplies due to be removed early in 2020.
Microbiological compliance for private supplies monitored in Donegal was 96% in 2019, but the overall compliance level improved from 96.4% in 2018 to 98.47% in 2019.
Wastewater Schemes
89 municipal wastewater scheme discharges have been identified for authorisation by the EPA and 37 out of 38 scheme discharges
in Donegal have been granted discharge licenses to date, while the remaining 51 scheme discharges hold Certificates of Authorisation. Donegal County Council continued to operate the majority of these plants under the Service Level Agreement with Irish Water, who are the responsible Water Services Authority.
Wastewater Discharges Quality Compliance
Donegal County Council continued to monitor all licensed and certified wastewater discharges in County Donegal, on behalf of Irish Water, with monthly results reported
to Irish Water and the EPA along with an Annual Environmental Report. Compliance of the licensed discharges is assessed against both the Discharge Licence requirements and the Urban Waste Water Directive. The newer, more modern, plants achieved compliance, but a number of older plants were non-compliant, reflecting the need for further investment in wastewater treatment. In some cases, licence limits are due to be reduced in 2020, which will further increase the need for plant optimisation and upgrade.