Water - Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government

Si 684 of 2007-Waste Water Discharge (Authorisation) Regulations 2007 (pdf, 196 kb)
These regulations will provide for the authorisation by the Environmental Protection Agency of discharges from local authority waste water treatment works and collection systems that are released to all types of receiving waters. In the case of discharges from smaller sewage systems, certificates will apply instead of licences. The Environmental Protection Agency, in considering applications for authorisations, will stipulate conditions to ensure compliance with standards for various substances and conformity with obligations under a number of EU environmental Directives. The EPA will periodically review discharge authorisations granted and failure by local authorities to comply with conditions attaching to an authorisation will be an offence.

S.I. 526 of 2007 - European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 (pdf, 85 kb)

Circular Letter 5/07 -Concerning SI 106 of 2007- Drinking Water Regulations 2007 (doc, 26 kb)

Si 278 of 2007- European Communities Drinking Water Regulations (No 2) 2007 (pdf, 179 kb)
The European Communities (Drinking Water) (No. 2) Regulations 2007 further strengthen the Drinking Water Regulations by increasing penalties for non-compliance with the requirements of the Regulations.

SI 106 of 2007-European Communities (Drinking Water) Regulations 2007 (pdf, 174 kb)
These Regulations replicate the existing Drinking Water Regulations of 2000 and also provide for supervision of sanitary authority supplies by the Environmental Protection Agency. Sanitary authorities will continue to be responsible for supervising group scheme supplies, but all monitoring programmes will in future be subject to approval by the Agency. The Agency will in turn be required to supervise the performance by sanitary authorities of their monitoring functions and supervisory authorities will have powers of direct intervention if necessary to ensure compliance with their instructions

2006

SI 378 of 2006 - Nitrates Regulations (doc, 539 kb)
These Regulations revoke, and re-enact with amendments, the European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations, 2005 (S.I. No. 788 of 2005). They provide statutory support for good agricultural practice to protect waters against pollution from agricultural sources and give further effect to several EU Directives including the Nitrates Directive, dangerous substances in water, waste management, protection of groundwater, public participation in policy development and water policy (the Water Framework Directive).

SI no 268 of 2006 - European Communities (Quality of Shellfish Waters) Regulations 2006 (doc, 94 kb)

2005

S.I No 413 of 2005 - European Communities (Water Policy) (Amendment) Regulations 2005 (pdf, 29 kb)

SI 788 of 2005 - Nitrates Regulations (doc, 1,261 kb)

European Communities (Waste Water Treatment)(Prevention of Odours and Noise) Regulations 2005 (S.I. No. 787 of 2005)
These Regulations contain general binding rules requiring sanitary authorities to ensure that waste water treatment plants do not cause a nuisance through odours or noise emissions. The Regulations set a legal requirement for waste water treatment plants to be designed, constructed, operated and maintained so as to avoid causing nuisance from odour emissions or noise. Operators of such plants, including sanitary authorities, must indicate to the Environmental Protection Agency each year all steps taken to comply with the Regulations and, on request from the Agency, must furnish copies of all complaint records

2003

European Communities (Water Policy) Regulations 2003

2001

Waste Management (Use of Sewage Sludge in Agriculture) (Amendment) Regulations 2001 (S.I. No. 267 of 2001)
These Regulations amend the Waste Management (Use of Sewage Sludge in Agriculture) Regulations, 1998 (S.I. No. 148 of 1998) by replacing the two tonne per hectare per year limit on the amount of dry matter to be added to soil, with limits based on absolute quantities of specified heavy metals which may be introduced into soil per hectare per year subject to the carrying out of nutrient management plans. The Regulations also require that sludge is used in accordance with a nutrient management plan and provide for the inclusion of additional technical parameters to be entered in the sludge register provided for in the 1998 Regulations

Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations 2001 (S.I. No 254 of 2001)
These Regulations revoke and generally re-enact in consolidated form the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 (Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations, 1994, as amended,) and prescribe a further 30 water bodies as sensitive areas. The Regulations:

prescribe requirements in relation to the provision of collection systems and treatment standards and other requirements for urban waste water treatment plants, generally and in sensitive areas
provide for monitoring procedures in relation to treatment plants and make provision for pre-treatment requirements in relation to industrial waste water entering collection systems and urban waste water treatment plants, and
give effect to provisions of Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991, as amended, concerning urban waste water treatment, and Directive 2000/60/EC of 23 October 2000 - the Water Framework Directive.

2000

European Communities (Drinking Water) Regulations 2000 (S.I. No. 439 of 2000)
These Regulations prescribe quality standards to be applied in relation to certain supplies of drinking water, including requirements as to sampling frequency, methods of analysis, the provision of information to consumers and related matters. The Regulations give effect to provisions of EU Council Directive 98/83/EC on the quality of water intended for human consumption. The Regulations came into operation on 1 January 2004 and revoked S.I. No. 81 of 1988 with effect from that date (see above)

1998

Waste Management (Use of Sewage Sludge in Agriculture) Regulations 1998 (S.I. No. 148 of 1998)
These Regulations prescribe standards for the use of sewage sludge in agriculture. The Regulations give effect to Council Directive 86/278/EEC of 12 June, 1986 (O.J. No. L 181/6, 4 July, 1986) on the protection of the environment, and in particular of the soil, when sewage sludge is used in agriculture. The Regulations came into operation on 20 May, 1998 and replaced the European Communities (Use of Sewage Sludge in Agriculture) Regulations, 1991 (S.I No 183 of 1991)which were revoked with effect from that date by virtue of section 1of the Waste Management Act 1996.

1989

European Communities (Quality of Surface Water Intended for the abstraction of Drinking Water) Regulations 1989. (S.I. No. 294 of 1989)
These Regulations prescribe quality standards and methods and frequencies of analysis for surface fresh water used or intended for use in the abstraction of drinking water. The Regulations give effect to Council Directives No. 75/440/EEC (O.J. No. L194/26) of 16th June, 1975, and No. 79/869/EEC (O.J. No. L274) of 9th October, 1979.

1988

European Communities (Quality of Water Intended for Human Consumption) Regulations 1988 (S.I. No. 81 of 1988)
These Regulations prescribe standards for water intended for human consumption and the patterns and frequency of analyses required in order to monitor such standards. The Regulations give effect to Council Directive No. 80/778/EEC of 15th July, 1980 (O.J. No. L229/11, 30th August, 1980) relating to the quality of water intended for human consumption.

1971

Health (Fluoridation of Water Supplies) Regulations 1971 (S.I. No. 119 of 1971)
The effect of these Regulations is to require County Councils to fluoridate public water supplies on behalf of health boards. They are administered by the Department of Health and Children. .

RIAs

Regulatory Impact Analysis of the Proposed SurfaceWater Classification Systems including the Environmental Quality Standard (pdf, 8,437 kb)

RIA concerning the European Communities (Drinking Water) Regulations 2007 (S.I.No. 106 of 2007) and the European Communities (Drinking Water) (No. 2) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 278 of 2007) (doc, 98 kb)

Public Consultations:

Public Consultation -Draft Goundwater Regulations (doc, 635 kb)

Public Consultation - RIA Draft Groundwater Regulations (doc, 176 kb)