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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY THE CONNÉTABLE OF ST. JOHN
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 10th SEPTEMBER 2013
Question
Given the Island does not have a potable water supply that can be accessed by all, will the Minister provide funding for those households whose water supply needs regular testing for bacteria, trace elements and where ground water is found to be contaminated and, if not, would she explain why?
Answer
The provision of drinking water is not the responsibility of the Health and Social Services Department, and the department does not meet the costs of testing water for people who are not on mains water supply.
The property owner is responsible for arranging for tests on their own supplies of potable* water.. These are carried out by the States Analyst. Where adverse results are found the supply users are referred to the Public Health Department where advice is available on remedying.
If a tenanted property has an unwholesome supply, the Public Health department will ensure that necessary measures are taken to remedy the situation. Where ground water is contaminated and the water system is temporarily unable to cope, a temporary supply from bottled water or a bowser is recommended.
Where gross contamination has occurred, arrangements for both temporary and long-term measures have been arranged at the polluter's expense. The cost of regular testing of a borehole supply is offset by the non payment of water rates, and should be a part of routine maintenance.
* Potable water refers to drinking water.