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Water Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 April 2012

Tuesday, 24 April 2012

Ceisteanna (409, 410, 411, 412, 413, 414, 415, 416, 417)

Finian McGrath

Ceist:

488 Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the local authority or city council that has the best record for dealing with leaks in the public water system. [19857/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

544 Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views that in order to conserve water the leaks in the system should be repaired. [20633/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 488 and 544 together.

Since the national water conservation programme was rolled out in 2003, over €208 million has been specifically invested in water conservation measures by my Department. In addition, local authorities fund active leakage control, detection and repair from their own operational budgets. Most of the effort to date has been focused on putting in place the water management systems to allow for active leakage control and better planning of mains rehabilitation. Most local authorities have now prepared water mains rehabilitation strategies, which set out the priority mains for replacement and repair and provide the platform for accelerated investment in this area over the coming years. The primary objective of this programme of work is to reduce water loss and leakage in the distribution networks to an economic level and to address high levels of unaccounted for water.

Progress is monitored on an annual basis through the local authority service indicators and through the collection of data from local authorities. The most recent published comparative figures for unaccounted for water in each county are set out in the report Service Indicators in Local Authorities 2010 which was published by the Local Government Management Services Board in December 2011, a copy of which is in the Oireachtas Library.

The OECD (2010) has concluded that water metering is unequivocally the fairest way to charge for domestic water usage. The introduction of water meters encourages households to reduce consumption, use water efficiently and to fix leaks where these are identified. The installation of water meters will encourage households to conserve water and will ensure that customer side leaks can be identified and fixed. Metering will, therefore, achieve significant reductions in the volumes of water that are required to be produced and treated every day and will lead to savings in the operational costs of delivering water services and in deferred capital expenditure.

The proposed water metering programme will be complemented by a continuing programme of investment in water mains rehabilitation and replacement. My Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2013 places a high priority on water conservation. In the year to end September 2011, some 200 km of public water supply pipes had been replaced or rehabilitated under this programme. Funding is particularly targeted at areas where the level of unaccounted for water is unacceptably high. Over time, this investment coupled with ongoing active leakage control should lead to marked reductions in unaccounted for water and improve service to customers.

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

489 Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the proposals he has for the installation of water meters; the cost that will fall on householders for both the installation and provision of these meters; the proposed period in which they will be required to pay for both the installation and provision of the meters; if householders will also have to pay an annual charge for the maintenance and reading of these meters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19880/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Mattie McGrath

Ceist:

498 Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the installation charges for water meters; if he will confirm that those households who already have water meters will not be required to pay any standing charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20157/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

508 Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on whether it is fair to charge persons €300 to install a meter at their properties when thousands of meters have already been installed on private dwellings, farm buildings and businesses and they were not charged for those meters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20242/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Stephen S. Donnelly

Ceist:

511 Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a poverty impact assessment has been carried out on plans to charge for domestic water and on plans to charge for the installation of meters; if so, if he will provide a copy of same; if not, the plans to carry one out; and the date of same. [20315/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Stephen S. Donnelly

Ceist:

513 Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if it will be possible for households to arrange independently to install their own water meters, subject to standards set by his Department or water company; if this has not been decided, if he will give a direction to the new water company that this be permitted; if it has already been decided that this will not be possible, if he will explain the reason. [20317/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Niall Collins

Ceist:

539 Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will publish the analysis he is relying on when claiming the effects that water metering will have on water consumption; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20619/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

542 Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will ensure that no water meters that have been installed in the past will be ripped out to put in new meters. [20630/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

I propose to take Questions Nos. 489, 498, 508, 511, 513, 539 and 542 together.

The Programme for Government provides for the introduction of a fair funding model to deliver clean and reliable water. The Government considers that charging based on usage is the fairest way to charge for water and it has decided that water meters should be installed in households connected to public water supplies. International evidence has shown that where meters have been installed significant reductions have been achieved in the level of consumption and this is also borne out by the water savings achieved with metering in the group water sector.

The Government has decided that Irish Water, a new State-owned water company to be established as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group, will be responsible for the metering programme. In common with meters for other utility services, the meters will be the property of Irish Water.

In keeping with international practice regarding water metering, the meters will be installed at the boundary of the property, most typically on the footpath at the front of a house. Households will not be charged an upfront charge for the water meter. However, similar to other utilities and the approach adopted in the metering of non domestic customers, it is likely that there will be a charge included in bills to cover the cost of the meter and its installation metering programme. The level of charges, including any charges relating to meter installation and maintenance, will be determined as part of the regulatory process.

Insofar as properties metered under the non domestic metering programme are concerned, such properties were not charged an upfront installation fee and their water bills include a standing charge which relates to the cost of the water meter. It will be a matter for Irish Water to determine how it will integrate any existing metered properties into its national system.

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