Vital to protect our storage of water

ONE of the expected results of the use of domestic water meters, due to be installed in all households in the coming years, is that people will use less water, already a costly resource that could become scarce before we realise it.

The need to protect our rivers and lakes, which supply 83% of the people with water, is another good reason for conserve the water we take out of the system. Given the high cost of producing water and making it potable, we can no longer afford to waste it.

Environment Minister John Gormley’s target is to have 1.1 million meters installed by 2012, which looks very ambitious. Considering the sheer scale of the task, some people are questioning its practicality and are asking if it will be possible to have all those installations completed in that time.