THE FIRST OF the new controversial water meters will be installed at the end of the month, according to a spokesperson for Irish Water, the semi-state agency responsible for the installations and roll out of water charges across Ireland.
The spokesperson told TheJournal.ie that the metering programme will commence at the end of this month with communications to those in the pipeline to receive the first meters.
Homeowners will receive a letter two weeks before their meter is to be installed and will receive a reminder a couple of days in advance of the installation.
Water will be turned off for no more than two hours during the installation process.
It is thought that the installation of the new meters will prompt Irish people to be more conservative with their water usage.
According to the spokesperson, international experience shows that “a reduction in consumption of at least 10 per cent” is common after the introduction of a water metering system and it is expected that Ireland will see similar positive results “as awareness of water efficiency increases” in Ireland.
Water costs will be set by a new regulator for a period of two years. After that, costs will be reviewed every five years.
In Denmark, water consumption dropped by nearly 13 per cent between 1996 and 2007 after water meters will installed in homes.
However, questions remain about the sustainability of the current funding model for the programme.
“Water is a valuable resource, but it is expensive to deliver and the current funding model is not sustainable,” the spokesperson added.
The goal is to have over one million meters installed by the end of 2016, an average of 27,000 meters per month.
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