Meters a first step to privatised water

IN your report headlined ‘90% unaware of daily water usage’ (March 30), a survey quoted makes a number of claims in relation to what it calls the wastage of water by people in their homes.

It goes on to quote a representative of a private company who recommends fitting flow regulators to taps to cut down water usage.

I think it is important to point out that the company manufactures and sells bathroom fittings and plumbing equipment, including flow regulators. This alone must cast serious questions over the neutrality of the water usage survey.

Once again we have a private company, which stands to profit from the water business following the Government’s decision to reintroduce domestic water charges producing a survey to promote its enterprise.

The proposed water charges will be another tax on the family home and a further attack on ordinary working people who have been hammered by this Government to pay for the banking bailout.

More importantly, water metering and charges are part of the preparation for the privatisation of the public water service which will inevitably mean even higher water bills and a poorer service in the future.

Cllr Ted Tynan

Silversprings Lawn

Mayfield

Cork