Sewage Disposal (Hansard, 4 March 1999)

§ Mr. Paul Murphy

Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Water Service under its Chief Executive, Mr. H. R. F. Plester. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

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Letter from D. Carson to Mr. Roy Beggs, dated 2 March 1999: You recently asked the Secretary of State to answer two Parliamentary Questions about the permitted level of expenditure per household for connection to mains sewerage, when it was last determined and whether the level of expenditure will be increased. You also asked what sum is used as the basis for determining the viability of a new project. These questions have been forwarded to the Chief Executive of Water Service, Mr. HRF Plester, for reply. Mr. Plester is currently on leave and I am replying as the Service's Director of Finance. The Department of the Environment's statutory duty, under the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1973, to provide sewerage facilities operates within the limitations that such provision must be both practicable, in engineering terms, and can be made at reasonable cost. Since 1973, therefore, reasonable cost allowances have been available for first time connections to the sewerage infrastructure. The maximum allowance is currently £2,300 per domestic property (or equivalent). This maximum was set in 1986. It is currently under review by the Department. The Water Service test of viability for any new sewerage extension project is the £2,300 maximum reasonable cost allowance multiplied by the number of properties to be served by the scheme. Perhaps I can clarify by giving a model example. If, for instance, the number of domestic properties to be served by a sewer extension scheme is ten then the total Departmental expenditure available for the work is the reasonable cost maximum multiplied by ten—10 x £2,300 = £23,000. If the actual cost of provision is at or below this level, and the work involved is practicable, then the Water Service can programme the project in its capital works planning, subject to overall priorities. If the cost of any scheme is estimated to be in excess of the maximum allowance calculated for the work then the applicant (or applicants) for the sewer extension may agree to pay the additional monies necessary to take the work ahead. The Water Service can then also programme the project in its capital works planning, subject to practicability and overall priorities. I hope this explains the position clearly for you. Mr. Plester is happy to arrange a meeting to go into the matter in greater depth if you should wish this on his return. His secretary Mrs. Lynda Boyd can make necessary diary arrangements if contacted at the telephone number given above.