RURAL WATER NEWS Magazine of the Group Water Scheme Sector Spring 2014 Volume 16 Issue 1 A matter of urgency publicly sourced GWS sector needs answers A submission from the organisers of publicly February to tease out the the occurrence of a major pub - National Federation of sourced schemes being sup - many issues facing the sector. lic health incident involving Group Water Schemes to plied by the semi-State com - The meeting formed the this sector’. the Water Services Reform pany are still none the wiser unanimous view that there is Inability to plan Programme has highlighted about their position. urgent need for the develop - Addressing the focus group three issues that are The NFGWS now urges ment of policies and proce - meeting, GWS representatives ‘absolutely critical and in Irish Water to address these dures that will ensure that admitted that they don’t know need of immediate atten - issues as a matter of urgency. ‘three areas of i mmediate and what to tell their members. As tion’, if the growing con - Focus Group critical concern are proactively one commented: cerns of the publicly In light of growing frustration addressed’. ‘How are we to set a price for sourced GWS sector are to at the lack of information to Listing these concerns, water at the AGM when we be allayed. date, a focus group compris - NFGWS National Co-ordina - won’t know until later in the Although Uisce Éireann/ ing representatives of publicly tor, Colm Brady, explained year what the bulk price will Irish Water assumed control sourced schemes from several that they need to be addressed be and if our costs will be of public water and waste - counties met with NFGWS without delay, ‘rather than at a taken into account?’ water assets on 1 January, the management and staff on 26 later time, perhaps following Continued on page 4 In this issue: Page Comment ........................................ 3 VAT issue for GWS sector ............ 3 Annual Delegate Conference ........ 6 Ambitious programme of ZOC delineation work for 2014 ............ 10 Presentation of VTEC study results ............................................ 10 New study probes NOM and Pta risk to water supplies .................... 11 Raw sewage & the environment .. 12 Best water quality results in over a decade on impacted Monaghan river .............................................. 12 Wetlands resource for schools .... 12 On the Water Front ...................... 13 NETLAKE: linking lake researchers across Europe ............ 14 Climate change and group water schemes ........................................ 15 What’s new in the water industry.. 18 Wind and solar energy provide the electricity required to run the drinking water treatment plant at Blakestown/Brittonstown in County Wicklow. Regional reports ........................ 19 Rural Water News Spring 2014 2 Rural Water News Spring 2014 Comment We welcome the emerging emphasis on water services, VAT payment issue espe cially vital drinking water services, arising from the huge media interest in the establishment of Uisce Éireann/Irish Water (IW). While IW may not have been overjoyed by the for GWS sector attention focused on its start-up costs (including the engage - Arrangements in respect of any relevant contract tax ment of various consultants), nevertheless the new semi-state VAT payments for GWS deductions, directly to company must have been delighted with the focus on its new construction works domi - Revenue. remit of responsibility for the drinking water services formerly nated proceedings at the GWS as Principal delivered by 34 different local authorities. NFGWS Annual Delegate Contractors With the imminent introduction of domestic charges for con - Conference in Athlone on An issue arose as to whether a sumers on public mains, such consumers will inevitably group water scheme could be demand value for money and this fact alone should drive better 12 March. considered to be a principal and more efficient quality services. IW has a golden opportunity Addressing delegates on to set up comprehensive, dedicated and responsive communi - behalf of the NFGWS audi - contractor under these rules. ca tions systems with its consumers. tors, Andrew Fuller The message to delegates A similarly efficient and responsive line of communications explained that Principal was that the legislative defini - will, of course, have to be in place to address their future Contractors must implement tion of Principal Contractor relationship with publicly source group water schemes. ‘reverse charge VAT appears to include group water In his recent address to the Annual Delegate Conference, arrangements’ in respect of schemes as entities that carry NFGWS Chairperson, Brendan O’Mahony reiterated that our all construction services that on “gas, water, electricity, group schemes will not be taken over by IW (unless such are subject to Relevant hydraulic power, dock, canal schemes vote for takeover or in exceptional circumstances, Contracts Tax (RCT). or railway” undertakings. such as where a serious public health issue arises and there is Essentially, the system In this context the reverse no committee in place to deal with it). Indeed, all of the recent means that the principal charge VAT rules would water legislation passed by the Oireachtas provides for the rural contractor is liable to submit apply to the GWS sector. water sector to continue to operate independently, supervised the VAT amount, as well as continued on page 9 by and funded through the local authorities as heretofore. The GWS sector has 10 times greater lengths of watermains per consumer connection to operate/maintain when compared with Water Well Drilling the public mains now operated by IW. The flip side is obviously Water Quality Improvements at Source that the rural water sector has 10 times fewer cus - tomers/members on which to levy charges. The NFGWS One of the most important tasks for any group water expects such factors to be taken into account in any review of scheme is to consider the performance of your funding requirements for the rural GWS sector. groundwater source in terms of quality and quantity. We believe that rural communities will support their local • Low-cost trial drilling can establish water supply group schemes in this era of change and would urge GWS and water quality prior to developing production boards/committees to do all in their power to encourage a large well/treatment system specification. attendance at AGMs and to encourage members to play an • Cement-sealed wells prevent shallow surface-water active role in the praiseworthy task of securing the future of entering a supply, reducing the risk of contamination. their own local group water scheme. • An inert uPVC casing/ screen or stainless steel Rural Water News is published by the National Federation screen with gravel pack of Group Water Schemes. For further information, go to between screen section www.nfgws.ie or contact one of our offices: Monaghan and open hole helps pre - (00-353-47-72766); Kiltimagh (00-353-94-9381802); vent the ingress of silt/ Tuam (00-353-93-28712; Tullamore (00-353-57-9328068) . sand into a water supply . Disclaimer Contact the experienced pro - While every care has been taken to ensure that the information fessionals contained in this publication is up to date and correct, no Patrick Briody & Sons Ltd responsibility will be taken by the National Federation of Group Water Schemes for any error that might occur. Briody Aquadrill Services While we are grateful for the support of our advertisers, The Grove readers should note that inclusion of an advertisement does not Rathangan, Co. Kildare imply any form of recommendation. Tel. 045-524360 or 087-2589313 We try to ensure the reliability of advertisers, but Rural Fax 045-524785 Water News cannot accept liability for the quality of goods and Web: www.briodydrilling.com services offered. 3 Rural Water News Spring 2014 Continued from page 1 Q&A issues [as outlined in the • The status quo regarding Welcoming the GWS repre - The formal presentation was submission below] were water charges to these sentatives to the focus group followed by a question and considered ‘absolutely criti - schemes should be left in (pictured below), Mr Brady answer session, during which cal and in need of immediate place for the full 2014 year. gave a presentation on several a wide range of issues were attention’. • The “daisy chain” GWS pertinent issues, including the discussed. Issues system was discussed. It results of an NFGWS survey The consensus of partici - Amongst other important was suggested that perhaps in relation to operational pants was that all of the issues and concerns dis - the most efficient way for issues for publicly sourced issues and concerns outlined cussed were the following: these schemes to survive group schemes, such as length in an earlier NFGWS sub - • The need for early informa - would be through amalga - of network and costs. mission on the issue of pub - tion on Irish Water charging mation. Some incentive He said that summary data licly sourced schemes repre - policies and levels. Publicly should be built into overall from this survey indicates sent real and genuine con - sourced GWSs need to plan policy to encourage this. that schemes incur substantial cerns for the sector. now and set their own • IW is sometimes supplied operational and maintenance While none of the issues charging levels for 2014. It with its own water through costs on the safe delivery of identified are of lesser is difficult to do this with publicly