Water Services Bill: Privatization and Charges

I think there is an enormous amount of naivety surrounding the future of Irish Water and water charges which probably has not been clarified by the recent passing of the Water Services Bill. First is that it is inevitable that the private sector will take an increasingly significant role in managing and providing water services in Ireland which will lead inevitably to privatization. The current situation of paying companies to operate water and sewage treatment facilities does not make long term sense as the investment in plants is simply not being made. Also the lack of a coherent and suitable training as well as the absence of a career structure in the industry needs to be addressed and this is probably best served by privatization. There are few companies with the experience to take on a sector of this magnitude and so it is obvious that one of the major European water companies would be best suited.


The second area of naivety surrounds water charges. What is the charge for exactly? The current suggestion of €300-350 as an average seems to be for water supply…in other countries there are two charges one for supplying water and another for taking it away after you have used it for treatment and finally disposal. So inevitably water charges contain two separate elements. So will you only pat half of the water charge if you have a home treatment system? It would appear that we should expect a second charge for wastewater bringing the expected total bill to around €500-750 per household which would be similar to that in the UK. This is something that I would like to see clarified.

Special Journal Edition: Drinking Water and Health



Three Potential Sources of Microfungi
in a Treated Municipal Water
Supply System in Sub-Tropical Australia.



A new special edition of papers dealing with a wide range of health issues of drinking water has been published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health and edited by Professor Nick Gray.

The full reference and online access is:
Gray, N.F. (2012) (editor) Drinking Water and Health. A special issue of the  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 8-9, (ISSN 1660-4601).
Link to papers:




List of papers:
• Maxine Burton, Emma Cobb, Peter Donachie, Gaby Judah, Val Curtis and Wolf-Peter Schmidt. Article: The Effect of Handwashing with Water or Soap on Bacterial Contamination of Hands. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2011, 8(1), 97-104; doi:10.3390/ijerph801009

• Virgínia M. Siqueira, Helena M. B. Oliveira, Cledir Santos, R. Russell M. Paterson, Norma B. Gusmão and Nelson Lima: Review: Filamentous Fungi in Drinking Water, Particularly in Relation to Biofilm Formation. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2011, 8(2), 456-469; doi:10.3390/ijerph8020456

• Zhihua Hu, Lois Wright Morton and Robert L. Mahler. Article: Bottled Water: United States Consumers and Their Perceptions of Water Quality. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2011, 8(2), 565-578; doi:10.3390/ijerph8020565

• Noel B. Sammon, Keith M. Harrower, Larelle D. Fabbro and Rob H. Reed. Article: Three Potential Sources of Microfungi in a Treated Municipal Water Supply System in Sub-Tropical Australia. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2011, 8(3), 713-732; doi:10.3390/ijerph8030713

• Mark Ibekwe, Shelton E. Murinda and Alexandria K. Graves. Article: Microbiological Evaluation of Water Quality from Urban Watersheds for Domestic Water Supply Improvement. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2011, 8(12), 4460-4476; doi:10.3390/ijerph8124460

• Jocelyne K. Mwabi, Bhekie B. Mamba and Maggy N. B. Momba. Article: Removal of Escherichia coli and Faecal Coliforms from Surface Water and Groundwater by Household Water Treatment Devices/Systems: A Sustainable Solution for Improving Water Quality in Rural Communities of the Southern African Development Community Region. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(1), 139-170; doi:10.3390/ijerph9010139

• Kyle Onda, Joe LoBuglio and Jamie Bartram. Article: Global Access to Safe Water: Accounting for Water Quality and the Resulting Impact on MDG Progress. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(3), 880-894; doi:10.3390/ijerph9030880

• Jason Roberge, Mary Kay O’Rourke, Maria Mercedes Meza-Montenegro, Luis Enrique Gutiérrez-Millán, Jefferey L. Burgess and Robin B. Harris. Article: Binational Arsenic Exposure Survey: Methodology and Estimated Arsenic Intake from Drinking Water and Urinary Arsenic Concentrations. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(4), 1051-1067; doi:10.3390/ijerph9041051

• Robert Bain, Jamie Bartram, Mark Elliott, Robert Matthews, Lanakila McMahan, Rosalind Tung, Patty Chuang and Stephen Gundry. Article: A Summary Catalogue of Microbial Drinking Water Tests for Low and Medium Resource Settings. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(5), 1609-1625; doi:10.3390/ijerph9051609

• Jyotsna S. Jagai, Jeffrey K. Griffiths, Paul K. Kirshen, Patrick Webb and Elena N. Naumova. Article: Seasonal Patterns of Gastrointestinal Illness and Streamflow along the Ohio River. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(5), 1771-1790; doi:10.3390/ijerph9051771

• Catherine D. Luyt, Roman Tandlich, Wilhelmine J. Muller and Brendan S. Wilhelmi. Review: Microbial Monitoring of Surface Water in South Africa: An Overview. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(8), 2669-2693; doi:10.3390/ijerph9082669

• Piergiorgio Bolasco, Antonio Contu, Patrizia Meloni, Dorio Vacca and Andrea Galfrè. Article: Microbiological Surveillance and State of the Art Technological Strategies for the Prevention of Dialysis Water Pollution. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(8), 2758-2771; doi:10.3390/ijerph9082758

Institution of Civil Engineers publish State of the Nation Water Report

Civil engineers are by nature a conservative bunch but in the ICE State of the Nation Water Report published this week they pull no punches. They describe a situation not unlike that in Ireland where the severity and urgency of the nation’s water problems are still not properly understood. They rate the current water security situation in the UK as level 4 on a 1-10 scale, which would be slightly better than Ireland which in some regions is higher. The report offers many possible solutions including the development of new water storage facilities, the removal of regulatory barriers that discourage water sharing between neighbouring companies and collaborative investment in new infrastructure. Among the issues that come as no surprise to us here in Ireland is the recommendation for the phased introduction of phased of universal metering, but with social tariffs to protect the poorest in society.

The grim fact is that if positive action is not taken quickly then water security in the UK could reach level 8 or 9 by 2025. Download a copy of the report at www.ice.org.uk/sonwater2012.

Irish Water will become a subsidiary of Bord Gáis

The Government announced today that the new State water authority Irish Water will become a subsidiary of Bord Gáis (The State owned Irish Gas Company). The formation of a new State Water Authority is to be welcomed as it will for the first time facilitate the provision of water, sewerage and wastewater to be operated holistically. It may also allow Irish Consumers, for the first time, to have the same rights as water consumers in other countries and a proper route for the handling of complaints about water quality, something that is currently lacking in Ireland. On the whole the County Councils and Local Authorities have done an amazing job over the years and to some extent it is sad to see this come to an end. However, the senior management in County Councils didn’t rise to the challenge and have now lost one of their key roles.

In some areas local authorities have failed to react to the real needs of consumers and the poor provision in some areas, often linked with poor planning decisions, has left us with complex supply and sewage treatment problems. However, hidden away in water and wastewater treatment plants around the country we have a wealth of fantastic technical and operational personnel with extensive expertise, which I hope will now be allowed to play a more central role in the operation and management of our water services.

We must be very careful to remember that in all the hype about charges there are real public health issues at the core of this change as well as the environmental issues. Personally I would have preferred to have seen a standalone Water Authority similar to those in the UK prior to privatization based on regional areas where staff, equipment and expertise could be shared. Ireland is small enough to have based these on our existing River Basin Districts and to have had the catchment management functions associated with River Basin Management Plans also come under their auspices. Apart from knowing how to collect revenue and lay pipes, I am at a loss to know what Bord Gáis can bring to this critically important and technically very different industry.

The water industry represents a massive and continuous investment by the tax payer for over a century and it should not be allowed to be asset stripped by the private sector, although it is unlikely that with its small size, dispersed population and the complex arrangement with Group Water Schemes that it will prove to be an attractive investment for some time to come. I wish Water Ireland well, but hope that it creates a sustainable water infrastructure for the future and prosperity of Ireland.

Water Meters...A Holistic Approach to Water Conservation



Copyright Plymouth Water

 Quite of few people have been asking for my opinion on the introduction of water meters in Ireland. To be quite honest I am not generally in favour of universal metering simply because of the cost. I would favour a temporary flat rate charge in areas where supplies are not at a critical level, but the introduction of meters in areas where alternative supply side investment is being planned, such as Dublin. However, I feel that the introduction of meters as planned is very crude and that a more integrated approach is needed for water conservation.  A more ambitious plan, which would secure our water supplies for at least the next fifty years, would be to include the householder more directly in this process. I would like to see every household have their supply pipe checked when the meter is installed for leaks, that it is not lead and that the electricity system is not earthed via the pipe. Also, every householder should be given the option to have all their taps and shower heads, and possibly also their toilets replaced with conservation low-flow units at a discounted rate to ensure maximum conservation of water. This installation of meters and household upgrades should be carried out by registered plumbers trained for this task. I would also subsequently like to see all households given the option to buy into some form of service arrangement so that they can have their household system checked regularly for leaks and repaired where necessary for a small annual fee. This would make water conservation savings well in excess of 40% possible as well as ensuring higher quality water. We need to tackle the lead issue, promote the sensible use of water and to reduce leakage on the supply side of the service pipe.

Water Restrictions Could Spread to Ireland

Shower timers can be tradtional egg timer
design or digital alarm systems

I am feeling rather depressed at not being issued with a waterproof four- minute egg timer for use in my shower as a simple tool to conserve water.  These are being issued throughout south-east England in an attempt to conserve supplies. South East and Anglia Water areas are especially at risk as are the midlands, including Birmingham.  However, with hosepipe bans inevitable, it appears that we are heading for a very dry year…as dry as 1975 which I remember very well.  It was the first and only time I have seen lawns and agricultural grassland simply wither and die.  Ireland may also be facing a similar situation this summer and as supplies are always at a critical level in the East, especially in the Greater Dublin area, it is perhaps time to seriously consider conservation measures and issuing waterproof egg timers here as well.

The Chlorine Institute

There are so many interesting an informative websites in cyberspace now that it is hard to keep track. An interesting one for me is the Chlorine Institute which works with the Chlor-alkali industry. Chlorine is synonymous with water and wastewater disinfection, although it has enormous industrial applications. But those of you interested in the use of chlorine and its derivatives for water disinfection should check out this large and informative site. There is a particularly interesting section on Emergency Response. Link.

New Ozonation Book

There are some books that are just very good. Ozonation of Water and Waste Water by Christine Gottschalk, Judy Libra and Adrian Saupe is one of them. Ozone is not widely used in Ireland for either drinking water or wastewater treatment, and because of that my knowledge base is very superficial. However, the scope and clarity of this textbook, written in clear and accessible English, has excited a new interest in the area. I recommend it to you. ISBN: 978-3-527-31962-6. Published by Wiley-VCH, Weinheim in 2010.
Amazon Link for access to the book.

World Water Week

Each year the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) hosts World Water in Stockholm. Since 2009 the massive event which consists of a large range of seminars, workshops, lectures and visits has been dealing with the issues around Responding to Global Changes. This year the main theme is Water in an Urbanising World. You can be involved by using the extensive official website. Link

Ice on tap...icebergs as a source of drinking water?

Bulk transportation of water either by bulk tanker  or water storage balloons towed by tugs is now fairly common place, but the problem of finding sufficient water supplies to fill bulk containers remains problematic.  The idea of towing icebergs from the arctic or Antarctic has been a dream of many engineers since the 1970's Link, with a  relatively small 7 million tonne iceberg sufficient to supply 125,000 people for a whole year.  Using new 3D predictive technology it now appears feasible to transport icebergs up to 7 million tonnes by using a geotextile skirt placed around the iceberg to insulate it and collect melt water which is then towed by tugs using the sea’s natural currents to help.  Without employing sea currents then it is simply not feasible.  In theory this will produce a high quality water using far less energy hence saving money.  Trials are planned to start next year when smaller bergs will be towed from Antarctica to Australia. Link However, there remains many logistical problems to be solved in recovering the water from the iceberg once it arrives in Australia.

SODIS Solar drinking water disinfection



Transparent PET bottles exposed to

sunlight to passivelytreat drinking water.

Copyright CNN

 SODIS is short for solar water disinfection and is perhaps one of the simplest and safest ways of treating water in developing countries. Transparent plastic bottles (PET) are filled with settled water and left in the sun for 6 hours. A mixture of temperature and UV-A rays inactivate viruses, bacteria and protozoa making the water safe for consumption. It also works in cloudy conditions although it is recommended that the bottles are exposed to light for 2 consecutive days. 5 million people rely on this method for safe water. Find out more about the SODIS project and how you can help. Link

Some Thoughts on the E.coli Outbreak in Germany

I suppose the many hundreds of students who have attended my introductory lectures on wastewater treatment can attest to my call for the past thirty years for microbial standards to be placed on wastewater treatment plants, and in particular to focus more closely on pathogen removal during treatment.  Wastewater treatment plants, especially activated sludge reactors, are ideal places for new strains of bacteria and antibiotic resistance to develop.  Our simple barrier approach to pathogen control based largely on dilution of effluents and the disinfection of drinking water has served us well, but the reuse of wastewater effluents, contaminated surface and ground waters are all direct routes to the food chain.  While the source of the current outbreak of E. coli  in Germany remains unknown, we should not rule out the very high possibility of such a link.  The need for better operational management coupled with final effluent disinfection to deal with pathogen release from treatment plants must be put on the agenda for a revised Urban Wastewater Directive, where emphasis is placed equally on both environmental and public health protection. 

Haiti Cholera Outbreak Continues but Origin Sourced

Cholera is still dominating the lives of those living in Haiti.  Since the original post on the 22nd October 2010, some 5,000 people have died and 300,000 have become ill.  A recent report has linked the original outbreak to a poorly constructed wastewater treatment system that was built to serve UN troops from Nepal that were based at a rural camp close to the Meye River.  The basic septic tanks leaked into this river which is a tributary of the country’s main river, the Artibonite, which runs through the central region of Haiti, and the major source of water for many tens of thousands of rural Haitians.  However, the lack of suitable  water and sanitation, which has still not been restored since the earthquake, is also a major factor for the continuation of this epidemic.

Dublin Faces Possible Water Shortages

Dublin City Council have issued advanced notice that their reservoirs in the Wicklow mountains are rapidly falling due to a very dry March and April resulting. With little or no water replenishing stocks reserves now stand at 120 days, rather than the usual 178 days normally expected at this time of year. This means that if dry weather continues then restrictions will have to be implemented both in the City and throughout the Greater Dublin area. The cut off point is 80days storage at which restrictions will be put into place. Consumers are asked to conserve supplies, especially in relation to using water for the garden and washing vehicles etc.

Perchlorate Standard for US Drinking Water

Perchlorate in drinking water is known to suppress thyroid function by inhibiting uptake of iodide and its subsequent ability to produce hormones that are critical to development. Children and new born are particularly at risk. However, the exact safe dose of this compound is unknown. Link Link  In 2002 the US EPA suggested a limit of 1 ppb should be set, but in 2008 the Government decided not to regulate the compound but recommended drinking water concentrations should not exceed 15 ppb.

The US EPA has  now decided to regulate perchlorate under the Safe Drinking Water Act . Perclolrates are used to produce rocket fuel, fireworks and explosives, not activities associated with Ireland. However, they are also found in bleach, in some fertilizers and in nature making them universal. In the US it is estimated that between 5 to 17 million people may be exposed to perchlorate contaminated water with 153 supplies known to be contaminated. A standard is not expected to be set for at least 18-24 months. Link

Perchlorate In Irish Drinking Water a Potential Cause of Hyperthyroidism?

Attention is increasingly being focused on perchlorate in drinking water as prolonged exposure is known to suppress thyroid function. The sources of perchlorate in Ireland are quite limited but one area that urgently needs investigation is the use of sodium hypochlorite for water treatment. Other potential sources are household bleach and sodium hydroxide.

Sodium hypochlorite is a very common method of disinfecting water especially in smaller drinking water suppliers. The quality, storage and use of these chemicals varies considerably. When used it will dissociate to produce some perchlorate ions. Wherever sodium hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide are used there is a potential for perchlorate release into the environment.

A study carried out by NSF International in the US, and published in the Journal of the American Water Works Association found that perchlorate was found in 90% of sodium hypochlorite used at water treatment plants with the concentration increasing as the sodium hypochlorite aged. Their conclusions were: “For utilities that routinely use their sodium hypochlorite within 45 days of manufacture, the contribution of perchlorate is likely to be negligible, unless there is some contamination of the original ingredients. Utilities or small systems that store sodium hypochlorite for longer periods may encounter significant levels of perchlorate in the finished drinking water. To minimize the perchlorate risk, sodium hypochlorite should be stored in the dark, at cool temperatures, diluted if possible, and used within a few weeks of manufacture. Storage tanks and piping should also be emptied of aged material and flushed to minimize the potential for contamination.” Link

Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami

I don’t need to say anything about this appalling tragedy except that clean water and sanitation provision are vital after such emergencies and the shear scale of this disaster is putting even the resources of a wealthy country like Japan under pressure. The Japanese Red Cross is playing a vital role in co-ordinating the international relief effort. If you would like to make a donation to help Japan at this difficult time then Google have set up a simple donation system. Link

Irish EPA Drinking Water Quality Report

Copyright EPA

Yesterday the Environmental Protection Agency published its annual report on the quality of Irish drinking water quality for the period 2008/2009. The report covers 944 public water supplies and shows problems of faecal contamination and high trihalomethanes in some supplies. The number of private group water schemes where E. coli was detected dropped from 134 in 2008 to 87 in 2009 with17% of all private group water schemes identified as microbially compromised at least once during 2009. The EPA indicated improvement is required in the compliance of aluminium and turbidity parametric values. At the end of 2010 there were 264 supplies requiring remedial action to bring them up to standard.

Dublin's Water Crisis Revisited

Now that water supplies have returned to normal throughout the country it is time to look back at what happened. The problem during the intense cold weather with burst pipes and excessive demand caused by families forced to stay at home while also leaving taps running overnight night to prevent pipes freezing drove up demand well beyond the supply capacity of 545 MLD peaking at 625 MLD. So while demand is now well within capacity we will be faced with exactly the same problem the next time we have a severe cold spell.

Our real problem in Dublin is that demand is steadily rising and is estimated to reach a staggering 800MLD over the next 25 years. Couple this demand figure with expected summer rainfall reductions of 20-30% and a temperatures increase of 1.0-1.5 degrees C by 2050, the problem of supply shortfalls can only get worse. Plans are in place to transfer water from the Shannon to storage lakes in Offaly and then supplied to Dublin as required. However, we may need to look seriously at alternative actions. Many have called for greater leakage reduction; however, leakage in Dublin is down from a high of 43% in 1990 to the current level of 29%, although leakage of 40% is common in some of the hub towns around the capital. Although it is planned to reduce leakage in Dublin to 20% by 2031, this is probably unrealistic due to cost. Most utilities with similar distribution infrastructure to that of Dublin are only managing about 24% on average requiring huge and continuous investment annually to maintain this level. Leakage is a fact of life and even after decades of investment UK water utilities are still loosing 3,275 MLD from their mains. What is clear is that for over a decade in Ireland we have focused on improving surface water quality rather than investing sufficiently in water supply infrastructure and water conservation. Given the current financial situation it may now be too late. For that reason it makes even greater sense to adopt a water demand management approach to our water supply problems. This is the focus of the research being conducted by Jennifer Brady a member of Water Technology Research Group.

IRCSET PhD Scholarships 2011

Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology (IRCSET) ‘EMBARK’ Initiative and the Enterprise Partnership Scheme (EPS) offer opportunities for suitably qualified individuals to pursue a postgraduate degree by research. The Scheme supports basic research in the broad areas of Science, Engineering and Technology. The online application system opens on Wednesday 12th January 2011 for individuals hoping to begin postgraduate research in the Republic of Ireland in September, 2011. The strict deadline for applicants to submit applications is Wednesday 16th February, 2011. Link  Those interested in applying for a PhD with the Water Technology Group or within the Centre for the Environment should contact Nick Gray in the first instance.