A £6 million increase in capital allocations to county councils for improving rural water supplies, particularly private group water schemes, has been announced by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey. The allocation is additional to a £28 million package for 1999 announced earlier this year.
Commenting in Co Galway, where he opened the upgraded Barnaderg Group Water Scheme, Mr Dempsey said abundant Irish water resources had to be protected.
In response to the recent EPA report which showed more than a third of group water schemes were polluted, he said this could not be condoned but, in most cases, it was not severe and could be easily dealt with by source protection and suitable disinfection.
