No charge on private wells, says Harkin

HOUSEHOLDS served by private wells will not have any charges levied under the EU Water Framework Directive, contrary to a recent media report.
This was stated by Independent MEP Marian Harkin in response to a report on a threat by the European Commission to refer the Irish Government to the European Court of Justice in relation to its interpretation of the EU Water Framework Directive.
She said, “I contacted the European Commission immediately to clarify the matter and was assured that recent letters to Member States will not impact on domestic or normal farm usage from wells. Therefore, there will be no water charges levied on domestic users as a result of this communication.
“The Commission sent a standardised letter to a number of member states reminding them that where there was exceptional use of water in volume or huge levels of abstraction then water could not automatically be treated as a free resource.
“The Commission’s communication refers to exceptional use of water that would impact negatively on the environment, on aquifers or create interference with watercourses. Such exceptional usage might include building a hydro dam or large scale water extraction for industrial and commercial use. This in fact helps to protect our water resources, and helps to ensure that, for example, water users downstream from any major abstractions would not be negatively impacted.
“To suggest that water usage for homes and farmers from private wells would be subject to charge is not the intent of the Commission’s letter which should not be interpreted in that way,” Marian Harkin concluded.