Approval for plan to meter home use of water

**Ringo** · 08/12/2009, 6:33 AM

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...260298123.html

WATER METERS will be installed in every home in the country over the next two years with a view to introducing domestic water charges from 2011.

Minister for the Environment John Gormley has been given Government approval for the ambitious nationwide scheme and is finalising preparations for its implementation.

The cost of providing meters for the domestic housing stock – the current figure is 1.2 million homes – is expected to cost €600 million and take two years to complete.

The main problem is there is no incentive for domestic users to manage their water. They need to get people to use water butts etc, as in the UK.

**Macy** · 08/12/2009, 7:33 AM

There's more issues than that. The water quality in many parts of the country is awful (Longford, or where I am in Wicklow for example), and they'd have some bloody cheek to try and charge for it. Also, is the main source of waste actually households, not leakage?

I'd agree about Water Butts - the councils should be operating schemes like they do for compost bins. And they are significantly more expensive here than in the UK.

Another nice stealth tax from the Government that isn't going to increase taxes, except for carbon taxes, water taxes etc. Perfect for FF as well - "it wasn't us, it was the Greens".

**dahamsta** · 08/12/2009, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by Macy

I'd agree about Water Butts - the councils should be operating schemes like they do for compost bins.

Some do already, it seems. Fair dues.

**thischarmingman** · 08/12/2009, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by dahamsta

Some do already, it seems. Fair dues.

There's a hardware store on George's Street in Dublin that's been doing special offers on them for the last couple of months.

**centre mid** · 08/12/2009, 10:28 AM

It would make sense to have a tax rebate on these.

**Ringo** · 08/12/2009, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by centre mid

It would make sense to have a tax rebate on these.

That would make too much sence.

.

**Macy** · 08/12/2009, 11:04 AM

Must admit I haven't checked for a while, and it is out of season, but that doesn't seem that discounted to me.

**centre mid** · 08/12/2009, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by Macy

Must admit I haven't checked for a while, and it is out of season, but that doesn't seem that discounted to me.

I'm sure a plastic dustbin and a garden hose would do the same job too.

**dahamsta** · 08/12/2009, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by Macy

Must admit I haven't checked for a while, and it is out of season, but that doesn't seem that discounted to me.

It's likely to be the same as this one - Ecostore is run by Waste Solutions, a customer of mine, that supplies local authorities around Ireland - in which case it's €14 off €54, which is a hefty discount. To be fair to them like.

center mid, I've never used them but afaik you'll need to throw in a fancy valve or overflow mechanism too. (Park it near the drain!)

adam

**Macy** · 08/12/2009, 12:59 PM

Fair enough. Last time I was looking I was comparing prices with the UK - 210l were circa £15 then. We've a Well, but it would be more convenient (and better) for watering in the garden - hard to justify when I've a perfectly good hose from the tap! Only cost saving would be esb for the pump.

**dahamsta** · 08/12/2009, 1:01 PM

Of course we all have taps, but the point behind water rates is supposed to be conservation and proper use of natural resources, not revenue generation. I've qualified that for obvious reasons.

**Macy** · 08/12/2009, 1:33 PM

Originally Posted by dahamsta

Of course we all have taps, but the point behind water rates is supposed to be conservation and proper use of natural resources, not revenue generation. I've qualified that for obvious reasons.

I know that, I meant from a personal point of view - we've our own well/ water supply. We don't have mains water so my tap isn't costing anything, and won't be metered.

Just on that, I know people that will drill a well rather than pay for the quality of water they get. Come to think of it I do know of at least one house who did drill a well because of the quality of the mains water as of now when it is free at the point of use.

**dahamsta** · 08/12/2009, 1:39 PM

My next house will be built in a ruralish area, and I'm looking forward to having my own well. Why bother with mains when you don't need it?

**Macy** · 08/12/2009, 1:44 PM

Well it does cost a bit to drill, and you may need some filter (we do for iron/managnese), and there is ongoing maintenance of the pumps, but I wouldn't be on our local mains system if they paid me - The only black stuff I want to drink out of a tap is Guinness thanks.

**dahamsta** · 08/12/2009, 4:22 PM

Neah, it'll be budgeted for, it's not an issue. My old man works off a well in his gaff in Sweden and only recently put a filter on it, christ it was gross to look at. Rust red, and it coated everything!

**elroy** · 10/12/2009, 10:04 PM

This is a welcome measure and I cant see how anyone else can say otherwise. Irish people in general take water for granted and are very poor at conserving supplies. As long as the free threshold is set at a fair and realistic level this scheme will work very well.

**dahamsta** · 10/12/2009, 10:17 PM

I think the only criticism that's been made in this thread is the quality of the water in some areas, in which case people are entitled to complain and/or refuse to pay until it's been improved. What else is being said otherwise?

**John83** · 10/12/2009, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by dahamsta

Of course we all have taps, but the point behind water rates is supposed to be conservation and proper use of natural resources, not revenue generation. I've qualified that for obvious reasons.

I can't find the link now, but I've seen a fairly damning comparison of the rates which were proposed previously with those of commercial water services in the UK. It's clear that what we have here is mainly revenue generation. This is a wet country: an adequate water supply infrastructure would mean that conservation would be a non-issue - this isn't oil or some other non-renewable resource. Instead of investing in that, we'll take the opportunity to introduce a new stealth tax and call it incentivisation of conservation.

**dahamsta** · 10/12/2009, 10:24 PM

The problem is that we don't have an aqequate water supply mechanism in Ireland. It leaks like a sieve. Of course we should be fixing that, but I guess their opinion is that water rates will pay for that. Of could we know it'll go towards raising the Taoiseach's wage back up to where it was in a couple of years...