2005 - 2006 - Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2012

IRELAND PART 2: COUNTRY ANALYSIS
Ireland
Economics (2003)
GDP per capita US$27,010
GDP per capita (PPP) US$30,910
Agriculture 3%
Industry 42%
Services 55%
Service provision and management
In urban areas, water supply systems are public utilities, owned, operated and maintained by City and
Town councils. Rural water supplies are also organised into Group Schemes, which are relatively
small-scale co-operative water systems, developed, operated and maintained by user groups. There
are also very many individual supplies to single dwellings and industrial enterprises in rural areas.
The water supply pipe network and reservoir system are owned, operated and maintained by the local
authorities, except for the small-scale group schemes, which are in private ownership. The public
water supply system reached 91.9% of the population in 2003 at present while public group schemes
supply 2.5% and private group schemes 5.6%. Distribution losses in 2000 were 47%.
In June 2001, changes were announced to the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations to require
a higher level of treatment for discharges into the 30 water bodies. The designation of 12 stretches of
river, 3 lakes and 15 estuaries as sensitive areas makes the provision of nutrient reduction facilities,
or tertiary treatment, compulsory for discharges from large sewage treatment plants. Nutrient
reduction facilities have been installed in the appropriate waste water treatment plants in the 10
sensitive areas designated in 1994 and are already in place in a number of the areas now being
designated.
Drinking water compliance 2001 2002 2003
Public water schemes 97% 97% 98%
Group water schemes 89% 91% 92%
Overall 95% 96% 96%
Population
Total 2003, million 4.0
Total 2015, million 4.4
In urban areas 2003 60%
In urban areas 2015 64%
In urban agglomerations 2015 26%
Water quality
Inland water quality
Class 1995-97 1998-00 2001-03
A – Unpolluted 66.9% 69.8% 69.2%
B – Slight pollution 18.2% 17.0% 17.9%
C – Moderate pollution 14.0% 12.4% 12.3%
D – Serious pollution 0.9% 0.8% 0.6%
The relatively low level of industrialisation means that the influence of intensive agriculture is higher
than usual. In 1989, after research to identify the impact of agriculture on water quality, it was found
that 20% of noted water pollution incidents resulted from agriculture. Nitrate levels for surface waters
and aquifers are within EU standards. Irish surface waters contain a relative low level of nitrate; there
is also little contamination with metals and pesticides. 75% of public water supply stems from surface
water. While groundwater resources are generally unpolluted, the fissured nature of the limestone
aquifers means that pollutants can move through them relatively rapidly. This, combined with the
shallowness could cause problems in the future.
114 Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2005 – 2006