STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS.

S.I. No. 177 of 2000

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (QUALITY OF WATER INTENDED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 2000.

S.I. No. 177 of 2000

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (QUALITY OF WATER INTENDED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 2000.

In exercise of the powers conferred on the Minister for the Environment and Local Government by section 3 of the European Communities Act, 1972 ( No. 27 of 1972 ), which said powers were delegated to me by the Environment and Local Government (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No. 2) Order, 1997 ( S.I. No. 428 of 1997 ), and for the purpose of giving further effect to provisions of the Council Directive of 15 July, 1980 (No. 80/778/EEC),(1) I, DAN WALLACE, Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government, hereby make the following Regulations:--

1. These Regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Quality of Water Intended for Human Consumption) (Amendment) Regulations, 2000.

2. The European Communities (Quality of Water Intended for Human Consumption) Regulations, 1988 ( S.I. No. 81 of 1988 ) are hereby amended by the deletion of article 8 thereof and the substitution therefor of the following:

“8. (1) Where it is found, as a result of monitoring carried out under article 7, that the quality of water intended for human consumption does not meet the requirements of these Regulations, the sanitary authority shall:--

(a) take all reasonable steps to warn users of the water supply where there is an unacceptable risk to public health,

(b) in the case of a public water supply, prepare an action programme for the improvement of the quality of the water as soon as practicable,

(c) in the case of a private water supply serving 50 persons or more serve, within 14 days of receipt by the sanitary authority of the monitoring results, a notice in writing on the person or, where there is more than one such person, each person responsible for that supply requiring that person, or persons as the case may be, to prepare and implement an action programme, including such interim measures as may be appropriate, for the improvement of the quality of the water so as to secure compliance with these Regulations as soon as practicable and not later than--

(i) 31 December 2003 in relation to the water quality standards specified in Part 1 of the Schedule in relation to matters which present a risk to public health, and

(ii) 31 December 2006 in relation to all the water quality standards specified in Part 1 of the Schedule,

(d) in the case of a private water supply serving fewer than 50 persons serve, as soon as practicable, a notice on the person responsible for the supply of the measures which should be taken for the improvement of the quality of the water.

(2) An action programme under sub-article (1)(b) shall include such interim measures as may be appropriate and shall be implemented by the sanitary authority so as to secure compliance with these Regulations.

(3) An action programme under sub-article (1)(c) shall have regard to the provisions of any strategic rural water plan for the area in which the water supply is situate.”.

Dated this 20th day of June, 2000.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

These Regulations amend the European Communities (Quality of Water Intended for Human Consumption) Regulations, 1988. They provide for remedial measures to be taken in relation to drinking water supplies which are deficient in quality. These Regulations give further effect to Council Directive 80/778/EEC relating to the quality of water intended for human consumption.

⁽¹⁾ OJ No. L 229, 30.8.1980, p.1.