Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 November 2014
1019. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if Irish Water is holding households responsible for the maintenance for any water pipe work up to 225mm from the boundary of their property and further; and his further views on the potentially serious financial implications of this policy for householders. [41426/14]
View answer1052. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if householders will incur bills of up to €1,000 to fix Irish Water pipes; if persons will be responsible for repairing leaks and blockages outside their property boundaries by repairing pipes between their properties and public sewers; if home owners will have to seek a road opening licence from their local authority in order to do so, and if the licence will only be granted once a person has public liability insurance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41875/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1019 and 1052 together.
Most meters for public utilities are located at the point where the connection enters the household. In the case of water services, under the provisions of the Water Services Act 2007, households’ pipes internal to the curtilage of a property are considered the responsibility of the householder, and thus water meters are being fitted at the stopcock at the curtilage of the property. In circumstances where there is a distance, however short, between the stopcock on public land and the curtilage of a premises, the responsibility for any maintenance or repair of any underlying infrastructure rests with Irish Water.
The Government has agreed to provide additional funding to Irish Water for their capital investment to include a free first fix scheme. Irish Water has made a proposal to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) regarding a ‘first fix’ policy and it is understood that the CER intend to hold a public consultation in advance of a decision and implementation of the scheme in January 2015.
The CER has decided that where a customer leak has been identified under the ‘first fix’ policy, the customers’ charges will be capped at the assessed level until the leak is fixed by Irish Water.
