46m litres of water leaking every day

Irish Water has said that four in 10 leaks on properties surveyed are coming from internal problems in homes where it will not arrange for repairs.

Announcing details of its first free fix policy, it said it had identified leaks in surveys where wasted water would fill as much as 18 Olympic-size swimming pools a day.

More than 30,000 suspected leaks on customer properties have been identified during the first meter readings.