Charges for those who waste water or neglect leaks

Only households that excessively waste water or fail to repair leaks will be subject to water charges, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

Speaking in Dublin, Mr Varadkar was responding to speculation that even families who use only a moderate amount of water could face annual charges over €235.

“What is intended is to only levy water charges on households who are wasting water or not repairing leaks that should be repaired,” he said. “So roughly 8% of households in the country use roughly 30% of the water in the country.