Call for register of public water supply users

A CONFERENCE on water metering will be told that a national system needs to be urgently set up whereby all households who use a public water supply voluntarily register their connection with a local authority so they can be charged for their water.

Former chairman of the Cork region of Engineers Ireland, Kevin Murray, is arguing that it is possible to install 1.2 million water meters across the country over the next three years but that Fás needs to urgently train people as meter installation crews. He said such a move would get 500 construction workers off the dole.

Mr Murray, who worked on the national programme to meter non-domestic customers, has said that “a lot of time and unnecessary money could be spent searching for these customers and their connections” and that this must be avoided.