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The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
John Gormley TD, has announced that investment in replacing
water mains will increase five-fold to €300 million over the
next three years as part of a revised water investment programme.
Last year, Minister Gormley ordered a review of the water
services investment programme, in order to address the ongoing
issue of unaccounted for water and ensure value for money
in the overall programme, which includes investment in water
treatment and wastewater treatment plants.
“We are playing a huge game of catch-up with our water infrastructure,
following decades of under-investment,” Mr Gormley said. “Exchequer
investment in water infrastructure has increased to an average
of €500 million per annum since 2007 and the €4.6 billion
the State has spent in the last decade is paying dividends.
“However, the difficulties experienced by thousands of householders
across the country show clearly that there are still huge
issues with our water infrastructure and consumption of water
that need to be addressed.
“Our approach to drinking water in Ireland has been unsustainable
and we must change that approach - from the investment and
management of our network, to how we, as households, value
the resource that comes out of our taps.
“In particular, we have a real problem with unaccounted for
water - with losses ranging from 16.8 per cent to 58.6 per
cent depending on what part of the country you are in. This
is completely unacceptable and must be urgently addressed.”
Over the last seven years, €140 million was spent on water
conservation. The new programme is a significant ramping up
of this investment, with €300 million of water conservation
contracts to commence over the coming three years.
The water conservation programme involves putting water management
systems in place to monitor water use and losses throughout
the supply networks, fixing leaks and replacing defective
pipes where repair is no longer an economic option.
Most counties have completed - or are close to completing
- the initial phases of this programme and this provides the
platform for intensive investment in mains rehabilitation,
which will be a key priority under the next water services
investment programme for 2010 to 2012.
Specific details of the new programme will be outlined next
month.
In addition, the Minister will also bring proposals to Government
in the coming weeks regarding the installation of water meters
to 1.1 million homes connected to the public water mains supply
across the country.
Following the phased installation of water meters, households
will be charged for water services based on usage in line
with the government commitment.
The Department is currently examining the various options
to ensure the delivery of the metering programme in the most
cost-effective manner, but it is expected that the roll-out
of meters will begin next year.
“Water metering will be an absolutely essential element in
ensuring that we get a water system that works, that is fair
and is sustainable in the long-term. The metering system
will allow for much better network management by local authorities
and it should also help consumers adjust their consumption
patterns,” Minister Gormley said.
“International experience of reductions in water consumption
would indicate that there can be significant water savings
arising from the installation of meters. A recent report for
the UK Government found average savings of 16 per cent per
household accrued from the installation of meters.”
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