Water Charges

ro09

Did I hear something about water charges being introduced to every household. What a disgusting idea. The lowest of the low.

holdfast

Its a good idea, will bring an awareness of what people are using. It is in line with most EU countries. Everyone pays for water in a round about way through taxes but I would hope that this would allow for people to determine how much they pay.

Dulchie

Well we all know how short Ireland is of water:rolleyes:

holdfast

you ae right dulchie, I am going get a bucket and sell it by the gallon. The big R is over for me

nkay1985

Yeah preperations are being made to introduce it. The system will be that you pay for usage over a certain allocated amount which will be free.

No further details that I've seen yet.

zootroid

Dulchie wrote: »

Well we all know how short Ireland is of water:rolleyes:

Well Galway didn't even have clean drinking water a couple of years ago.

It's an essential resource, and as such measures should be taken to make sure it's used properly.

Yes, its another tax, and as such that's pretty sh*t, but if it will help change people's attitudes, then that can only be a good thing.

mmalaka

How they will know how much water I used? are they going to provide some kind of meters like the ESB meter? who will pay for those meters?

zootroid

mmalaka wrote: »

How they will know how much water I used? are they going to provide some kind of meters like the ESB meter? who will pay for those meters?

From what I heard, they will have to install a meter in every house. Consumer will probably pay, but it might be offset by a state contribution.

nesf

How it's going to work is:

You get a free allowance of water. You pay for any usage over this.

Hopefully the allowance will depend on number of residents and so on. We'll get more details over 2010 and probably see it introduced in the Budget next year.

johngalway

I find it shocking homeowners will have to pay for the muck, and that's what it is, that comes out of the taps in this area.

It should be based on quality of the supply, if it's fit for purpose then maybe, but it's certainly not that way now.

Thoie

zootroid wrote: »

From what I heard, they will have to install a meter in every house. Consumer will probably pay, but it might be offset by a state contribution.

Any ideas how it will work in apartment buildings?

kadafi006

paying for water is ridiculous. I would never do it.

kwalshe

That'll be me getting some rainwater storage tanks to flush the jacks so. Think about the amount of water you use every day on this.
I'm not paying to flush the **** out of my house

What the hell am I paying taxes for.? My water tastes like it even has more chlorine than my local pool. Paying for water.... idiots.

RGS

Some years ago this was looked at and the cost of installing meters in every house was over €1 Billion euro.

So to get people to pay for water an investment of €1 billion is needed before any income is generated.

Wheres this money coming from?

BroomBurner

Thoie wrote: »

Any ideas how it will work in apartment buildings?

They could do what they do in some places on the Continent. Water usage is predetermined and the cost divided equally to each apartment. At the end of the year, if the money paid is over, a rebate is given and divided equally. Similarly, if it is too little, everyone pays a little more.

Alternatively, they could place the metre at the main inlet pipe in to each apartment.

dvpower

Lenihan was on RTE earlier saying that the Dept. of the Environment were working with (I think he said) IBM trying to develop a cheap water meter.

wtf?

How much are we going to pay to store these water meters when we find out they don't work?

BroomBurner

dvpower wrote: »

Lenihan was on RTE earlier saying that the Dept. of the Environment were working with (I think he said) IBM trying to develop a cheap water meter.

wtf?

How much are we going to pay to store these water meters when we find out they don't work?

Did they already go through the tendering process with IBM so? :eek: That was quiet.

delos

While I see the green argument in this I wonder how much my family uses compared to the loss of clean water that leaks out of the system every day of the year? How will that be charged?

congo_90

This is absolute bo**ocks
What about people who have medical conditions requiring more water?
what about heating the house, flushing my morning dump? f*ck that. Let them try install a meter on my house. I am already conservative with my water and careful with it.

we've so much water that much of the south and midlands was 3 feet under it! When they provide proper eu standard water supply then i'll pay.

We're being fined by the eu for water waste in our supply. No don't fix the pipes. It's the publics fault. lets charge them for it :rolleyes:
I've lost my source for this sadly.

BroomBurner

delos wrote: »

While I see the green argument in this I wonder how much my family uses compared to the loss of clean water that leaks out of the system every day of the year? How will that be charged?

All the water pipes in the Dublin City Centre and the Greater Dublin Area (including Kildare, Wicklow, etc.) have been undergoing upgrades over the last few years. It's been quite a large and ongoing project.

Can't comment on outside that area, I'm afraid.

ardmacha

Why should water be free any more than electricity or heating oil? But of course people should be entitled to expect a proper potable supply for their fees. When water has a value there is a clear incentive to fix leaks so that you can sell it.

nkay1985

It's not a bad thing to encourage us to reduce water wastage but I thikn this will provoke anger when it's introduced. They allowed builders and developers away with not fitting dual flush toilets as standard while they built hundreds of thousands of homes. But now that they're all built, they're going to introduce a charge on water.

A lot will depend on what the free allocation is, I think.

Fighting Irish

RGS wrote: »

Some years ago this was looked at and the cost of installing meters in every house was over €1 Billion euro.

So to get people to pay for water an investment of €1 billion is needed before any income is generated.

Wheres this money coming from?

As far as i know water meters have been added to most new homes for years

westtip

ro09 wrote: »

Did I hear something about water charges being introduced to every household. What a disgusting idea. The lowest of the low.

Its called rates - do you think those pipes that supply your water miracously appear without someone paying for them.

Clean water costs money to be delivered. Start waking up to what the rest of the world do --- pay for services.

Son Of A Vidic

Since when did any Government gain ownership of Nature's natural resource?
The last time I checked it was still being produced by 'Mother nature'. Oh ya, we have to pay because it's expensive to provide the infrastructure to bring the water to us. Again, the last time I checked most of us have been paying taxes throughout our working lives - so therefore we have and are contributing towards the cost of this infrastructure. I better not mention that a lot of this 'infrastructure' especially in Dublin, was laid by the 'Brits'. Dublin wouldn't have a sewage system only for them. What's next? will Gormley and his Gombeens start measuring, weighing and taxing our Farts!:mad:

Ronan|Raven

Hello Ireland, welcome to most of Europe.

westtip

medicman2009 wrote: »

Since when did any Government gain ownership of Nature's natural resource?
The last time I checked it was still being produced by 'Mother nature'. Oh ya, we have to pay because it's expensive to provide the infrastructure to bring the water to us. Again, the last time I checked most of us have been paying taxes throughout our working lives - so therefore we have and are contributing towards the cost of this infrastructure. I better not mention that a lot of this 'infrastructure' especially in Dublin, was laid by the 'Brits'. Dublin wouldn't have a sewage system only for them. What's next? will Gormley and his Gombeens start measuring, weighing and taxing our Farts!:mad:

If you want to catch water in a bucket and use it free of charge great, if you want a clean reliable public water supply get used to paying for it. Re the infrastructure - yes cities like Dublin, Manchester, London, Leeds, Glasgow have victorian public sewage and water supply infrastructure - guess what it doesn't last forever.

WAKE UP and smell your own farts.

CamperMan

holdfast wrote: »

Its a good idea, will bring an awareness of what people are using. It is in line with most EU countries. Everyone pays for water in a round about way through taxes but I would hope that this would allow for people to determine how much they pay.

but what if you have your own private water supply and waste water treatment..??? are we also expected to pay water charges?,

caprilicious

Does anyone know if it would be chargeable in homes where you have your own water supply? or what way do they work it in other EU countries?

SoupyNorman

I have zero problem with paying for water but my willingness depends on the method of measurement. If the gov put the investment into the setting up of meters in EVERY home (including individual apartments) then I'm onboard.

The notion of charging apartment blocks in bulk does not fly with me.

Ronan|Raven

Are you drawing from a well on your own property? If so then you should be fine.