Survey finds ‘worrying’ disparity in water charges

SOME businesses must pay four times as much as others for water services thanks to an out-of-date local authority charging policy, the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland (CCI) said yesterday.

The body, which represents over 12,000 business across the country, said its latest survey on the costs facing businesses found water charges and commercial rates were rising significantly more sharply than the inflation rate. Water charge hikes were running at double the rate of inflation.

“Even taking account of local conditions and the different levels of progress among local authorities, the degree of disparity in charges is worrying,” said CCI head of public affairs Sean Murphy. “For example, a business employing 249 people can expect to pay €35,000 in Tipperary South, compared with €147,000 in Galway City.”

Mr Murphy blamed the government for failing to fund all the costs involved in providing a domestic water supply, which meant local authorities slapped extra charges on business to meet the shortfall.