Short-term pain will leave the glass half full in the long term

The Government has long signalled it intends to start a programme of water metering in preparation for domestic water charges from 2014.

The realisation that the costs of metering will be borne by the consumer should come as no surprise. Who else will fund this investment?

If we are to have water charges, and this author believes they are essential, then water meters are widely seen as the fairest way to pay. Furthermore, meters will be valuable for managing the network and helping identify and repair leaks that add to the cost of water.