Irish Water calls for meters in all new-build houses

Water meters should be a part of new-build homes, according to Irish Water.

Representatives from the utility told an Oireachtas Committee that it makes sense to help identify faults in the system.

Irish Water says that, on average, six tonnes of water a day is lost from a leak under a home.

Managing director of Irish Water Jerry Grant says water meters should be installed in all new homes.

“Now that we have the infrastructure to read the meters, having an extra 20,000, 30,000 or 40,000 meters is no great burden at all,” he said.

“It makes total sense to me to put them in on new-builds because very often you’ll capture plumbing defects very early on.

“It’d be a very useful benefit from having meters as an integral part of a new-build.”