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IRISH WATER PLANS to reduce pressure in localised areas as part of a its effort to fix leaks and improve the country’s water system.
The semi-state company’s head of assets, Gerry Grant, gave details this morning on how engineers intend to proceed. He was speaking to Morning Ireland, after information released to RTÉ showed local authorities are losing 40 per cent of their supply through leaks.
Five councils still expect to lose most of their treated water to leaks by the end of the year, according to service plans the authorities have with Irish Water, according to RTÉ.
Grant said they hoped to improve leakage rates by two per cent by the start of 2016.
The roll-out of the metering process means the company is now building up a more accurate picture of how much water is being lost, he said — adding that the drive to address the problem is going to be a “slow, systematic” and “painstaking” process.
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The existing network has been developed on an ad-hoc basis, Grant said — “largely based on gravity systems, and largely based on having pressure to serve the houses at the highest point of the system”.
What that means is that you have areas of the system that are operating under excessive pressure and they’re leaking far more.
If you happen to live on a hill and have a tap with gushing water, then it’s likely any leaks in your pipes will be worse too, Grant explained.
Pressure in Cork, he said, was too high in much of the network. There’s a similar problem in the centre of Dublin city.
As a way of addressing the amount of water being lost through leaks, engineers plan to reduce pressure for certain areas.
Improvements in technology mean this can be done in a much more “broken down” way, he said — stressing that customers would not see their supply cut off or reduced to a trickle as a result.
The pressure of the tap will be sufficient in all cases.
Engineers will also be finding and fixing leaks as they attempt to improve an old system with “thousands of leaks all over the place” said Grant.
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It would make sense if the stuck water meters at mains connection points if they want to isolate leaks. What are they proposing to do? Lift the manholes of every hole the just dug and tot them up?
The triple charging of water is one thing, the sheer incompetence to do their job in spite of massive investment is another, more pressing, matter.
Why don’t we just leave it as is. Let 40%+ of the treated water leak away, wasting 40%+ of the monies spent to treat it. Keeping our heads firmly in the sand may be slightly uncomfortable though, with all the water leaked into it.
Harold we dont need a billing company, set up at a cost of billions with its running costs subsidised by the irish people for years to come and primed for privatisation, to fix the leaky pipes. If they had used this money already wasted on this quango on fixing the leaks there would already be in roads made on attaining a proper functioning water system which would eventually be easier to maintain. The only reason it has gotten to the state its in is because of neglect by multiple governments and the present one moreso, which cut funding to the councils that should have gone to the water system
Can you imagine buying a tumble down house as a buy to let and expecting someone to rent it whilst you spend 5 years making it habitable? Only an absolute imbecile would pay you rent.
@Dan it is an analogy. Irish water took over the supply of water here, with the aim of making money. They knew the infrastructure was in bits yet they want to charge the customer, who has no alternative supplier, to fix their banjaxed infrastructure. But here’s another one. I wouldn’t sign up with an internet company which only had very patchy service in my area on a promise that it would be fixed in 5 years.
“Grant said they hoped to improve leakage rates by two per cent by the start of 2016″ I notice he says “hope” to improve leakage rates by 2% in 1 year. If a council is loosing 40% of their water does this mean it will take 20 years to fix the current leaks? We can forget any new leaks being fixed by the sound of things….
Dennis O’Brien’s Sierra, might be brought in to do a big repair blitz of the leaks.?
If he can repair the leaks as quickly as his vans can install money making machines, then they will all be repaired in double quick time.
Just bung him another billion..but use the car tax cash to pay him.If you can afford a big car you can afford to finance the water leak repairs.!
Sean Mac if you can afford a big shiny new car these days you will be paying very little car tax. It’s those stuck with the old emission rich cars who are paying for Irish water.
So it will be years to fix leaks. With motor tax going also or gone to Irish water the potholes will get bigger. With property tax going or gone to Irish water councils will have less money to do things. Yet some think this is fantastic a wonderful company. Seriously .
What a load of rubbish. I have a leak outside my house since before Christmas. I have called Irish water about it repeatedly and they haven’t bothered to fix it.
If they don’t bother fixing the leaks they know about, I don’t think there really bothered finding more.
At the end of the day a service is being provided. Services must be paid for. Only a certain type of people will understand this and I’m afraid that does not include the majority of “water protestors”. Look who is leading your little tirade, 1 Paul Murphy. Enough said
Ha ha thanks Dj. Unfortunately people think im trolling because i have a different view?? Im getting abuse for having an opinion. Just goes to show the type of people involved in this. Letting our country down and more horrifying letting our children down.
PS sorry again for having an opinion different to yours
Letting our children down??? How many childden havs you had to put on an airplane and wave of to the other side of the world. Children, that if they ever come home, will be saddled with private bank debts for years to come. All thanks to Fg lab legalising ths prom notes, refusing to negotiate that deal properly ie if we had the current Greek deal we would bs paying 2billion per year less in imterest alone..
Danny Boy
You have some twisted sense of right & wrong there buddy, when you say:
>> “Just goes to show the type of people involved in this. Letting our country down and more horrifying letting our children down. ”
You’ll find that 99% of the people who object to the, yet unproven, privatisation asset grab of this shared resource, are doing so for their children and the children of others.
To ignore or deny that fact places you in the ‘paid poster’ territory.
>> ” PS sorry again for having an opinion different to yours”
You don’t have to apologise.
Just wondering does anyone here know how much did water treatment for the country cost for 2014 and how much did the VAT and motor tax allowance amount to for the same year? If it covers the cost of the water then you have a point, if it falls short then the deficit needs to be made up.
Only certain people understand that we already pay for this service through taxation ,the other idiots dont mind that they are throwing their money at a billing company that will eventually be privatised . Other idiots dont get that once it goes down this road there is no taking it back, other idiots dont get that once its in private hands the bottomline will be profit and not investment in infrastructure
Dan yesterday you said everybody who goes on the protest marches are unemployed. Today you tell me to get a job. Let me tell you mate I work. I’ve never claimed dole in my life. And yesterday you claimed your not a troll. Let me tell you what you are. You a evil deluded idiot who probley has not worked a day in your life.
Dan if its so cut and dry that we will end up paying anyway as you say, how come you felt it necessary to post your opinions, or are you just here to wind up a few people. This is how those who are for IW think. Youll pay because I’ve a vested interest.
Also, Dan, one way or another we already do. First the percentage taken from motor tax each year and now the extra funding given from the motor tax year again!
A meter only shows if there’s a leak on your property not in a main, does that mean they already know where the leaky mains are and have been ignoring them?
Honestly I’m not trolling, think what you will. However you cannot deny the usc or the property tax are far worse. I want my children to grow up respecting water and for it to still be a renewable resource in a 1,000 years time. This ensures that. Where were you people when they introduced that despicable USC? Nowhere that’s where. Water is a resource WORTH paying for. If you disagree with that particular point I may as well be talking to a wooden spoon
Well if you’re not trolling, then I guess you’re just not a very nice person. You seem to throw insults around left right and center without actually adding anything substantive.
Yes Dan…water is a resource worth paying for and is paid for already. In fact, I think it is so important that it must be part of the Governments social responsibility to make sure water is available to all including the poor.
In 1997…2% was added to VAT and 5% added to car tax so that we would never have to worry about paying for water again. I do not and will not begrudge water to my poorer neighbour or hit them with collateral damage to their children.
Water should be a human right and one of the things that all Governments should take responsibility for and not sold off to private companies who’s only concern is for it’s shareholders.
Just because this and past Governments have run the water services down does not mean it should be privatised….instead it should be taken a bit more seriously and money ring-fenced to deal with the issues…..not sold off to pay bankers debts….which will happen if we let IW survive.
Dan the usc was tough and inequitable as was the property tax. However we were told that we had to take some pain to pay for the mistakes of others. And we took it. But the water charge was the straw that broke people’s backs. If they were so concerned with water and how expensive it was to provide, why not bring in charges for it 6 years ago or use some the property charge to fund local water services??
@ talkingshite(troll) In response to me stating marches protest is going to be a biggie: “You said that the last time and only got 30k.”
Did I now? http://www.thejournal.ie/profile/242582/here-grand-should-nice-warmup-next-biggie-march-3395164/
Were Jammin
Jan 31 1:42 PM #
“Here we go, grand day for it as well! Should be a nice warmup for the next biggie in March……”
Anything else trollboy?
Haha, your link proved nothing. I merely pointed out that you claimed the December protest would be the biggest yet. You linked one comment from January to counter what I said.
Ah, so now you’re lying as well (love the little “haha” btw, very mature).
Your claim was that I “said that the last time and only got 30k”. The last march was Jan 31st, same date as the link I posted, where I inferred the opposite.
Just because you use the word ‘troll’ in your name, doesn’t entitle you to misrepresent people and lie through your teeth.
Considering i was born on the 29th April 1966 – Fifty Years to the day of the signing of the Ceasefire.
Considering my name is Pearse (after Padraig Pearse) Kevin (after Kevin Barry) Mc Mullen.
I reckon i have a good handle on what being a republican means.
Furthermore, you mention “no need to get personal”, Would this not also apply to you telling Norman to “get a life – your a bit pathetic” or indeed “get a Job” ?? – not to mention anyone else you have already gotten pretty personal with on these pages….
I give up. I will however be laughing in a years time when you are all paying for your water and the “sheep” are quiet again.
BTW Paul Murphy for Taoiseach, see how you all fare then.
This is comical. Could all of you staunch anti water protestors please post some selfies of yourself at the next march? Honestly have any of you been near one yet? #keyboardwarriors #youwillpayforyourwater #weakmindedpeople
Dan probably best you don’t start a tirade with ‘I’m not a ..insert word…but.
Btw when your present account gets banned like the pervious one try and learn from it.Bye bye.
Tell you what Dan, I`ll meet you at the next Anti Water march (21/03/2015) – you can take a photo of me with your Iphone 6 that Joan sent you or whatever…… But only on the condition that if it starts lashing rain, I can take shelter under your nose, to keep me dry…
Considering i was born on the 29th April 1966 – Fifty Years to the day of the signing of the Ceasefire.
Considering my name is Pearse (after Padraig Pearse) Kevin (after Kevin Barry) Mc Mullen.
I reckon i have a good handle on what being a republican means.
Furthermore, you mention “no need to get personal”, Would this not also apply to you telling Norman to “get a life – your a bit pathetic” or indeed “get a Job” ?? – not to mention anyone else you have already gotten pretty personal with on these pages….
Colm I know,since I have one already I’ll decline Dan’s clever put down to get a second job.
I notice a certain Gilhouly has disappeared,but I think he lives on .; )
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