Financial Assistance For Water Main Requisitions To Existing Properties

Minister for Regional Development Conor Murphy today announced an increase in the allowance for householders requesting a water main extension to serve an existing property.

The Minister said: “My department reviewed the level of financial assistance for water main requisitions to serve existing properties under the existing policy and concluded that an increase in the current level of assistance is justified.”

The increase from £6,500 to £10,000 per property follows an annual review of the level of financial assistance provided by the Department for Regional Development towards water main requisitions to serve properties built before 1 January 2000.

Minister Murphy said: “I hope that this increase of over 50% in the level of assistance will help householders living in existing properties to secure a mains water supply – this is particularly important in the current economic climate.”

The Minister went on to explain that he had also initiated a comprehensive review of the policy on providing financial assistance for water mains to serve rural dwellings. It is hoped that this will be concluded by the end of the year.

Notes to Editors:

1. Under the Charges Scheme Regulations DRD currently provides a level of financial assistance to householders in existing properties that are without a mains water supply. The level of assistance for the past two years (2007/08 and 2008/09) has been provided in the form of an allowance against the cost of a scheme equivalent to £6,500 per property.
2. The present level of assistance was introduced on 1 April 2007 following a 2006 consultation on “Charges for Connections to the Water and Sewerage Networks”. It was agreed that the Department would make subsidy available to provide an allowance totalling £6,500 per property against the costs for householders requisitioning a water main for an existing property.
3. ‘Existing property’ means a property built before 1 January 2000.
4. Media queries to the Press Office, Department for Regional Development, tel 028 90 540887. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.