Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 July 2018
2657. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if Irish Water automatic meter reading technology is still in use; the number of automatic meter readings Irish Water has conducted nationally in the past two years to date; if Irish Water has outsourced the drive-by automatic meter readings to a third party; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33348/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of the planning, delivery and operation of water and wastewater services at national, regional and local levels, and is independent in the exercise of its statutory functions and in relation to day to day operational matters.
The Water Services Policy Statement 2018-2025, as published on 21 May 2018 following its approval by Government, supports the promotion of water conservation and water resource management as an important element of water services policy that is to be reflected in strategic investment planning by Irish Water. For the period of the Policy Statement, this will involve the prioritisation of multifaceted programmes around leak detection and repair, network improvements, cost effective metering, public awareness campaigns and funding to fix customer side leaks. The Policy Statement is available on my Department's website at the following link:
www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/water_services_policy_statement_2018-2025_0.pdf.
This policy statement was informed by the 2017 Report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services which was approved by both Houses of the Oireachtas and which includes a number of recommendations in relation to the continued use of metering to support water conservation, to reduce leakages and to ensure compliance with the European Union Water Framework Directive, as opposed to for revenue raising purposes. Consistent with this policy position, Irish Water continues to use automatic meter readings for domestic and non-domestic customers.
A key initiative contributing to Irish Water’s efforts to reduce leakage is the First Fix Free scheme, which is greatly facilitated by the continuous flow alarms from meters indicating that a leak may exist. In line with the First Fix Free scheme, such notifications are brought to the customer’s attention by Irish Water together with the facility to avail of the check for, and repair of, a leak from the service pipe between the boundary of the customer’s property and the house at no cost to the customer.
A wider nationwide leakage management system has also been put in place informed by data from domestic, non-domestic, and district meters to identify and prioritise the most serious leaks in the public water system in order to ensure that available funding is targeted effectively. Good data on water usage also provides an important reference point and benchmark in assessing and measuring the effectiveness of conservation measures and performance in meeting the objective of water conservation.
Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on a dedicated number, 1890 578 578.
