Water supplies - Preserve our precious resource

The recent spell of cold weather provided a sharp and painful reminder of the value of water as a resource.

When people suddenly learned that they no longer had running water, they quickly realised how much we have all come to depend on it.

In other countries people do not need such a reminder, because they have long been aware of the value of clean drinking water, but in this country we have taken our supply for granted for too long. Most people in urban areas have grown up in conditions where a clean water supply has just been a matter of turning on a tap.

Many older people in rural areas, however, will remember the excitement of the introduction of running water in their homes. It was a life-changing experience. They no longer had to trudge to the local well to stock up on water.

The recent water shortages should help people to appreciate the need to be mindful on ways of preserving water, because our resources are currently distinctly limited.

People are usually slow to change ingrained habits until those habits begin to costs them more money. A change in attitudes is necessary because we do not have an infinite supply of drinking water. We are likely to have more problems in the future, and it is necessary to face those problems now.

During the building boom of the Celtic Tiger years sufficient provisions were not made for the extra water needed. The problem relates to proper collection and storage of water, and others to its delivery to homes.

Many of the pipes delivering the water are aged and in need of repair or replacement, because after supply is temporarily interrupted for any reason, the old pipes frequently rupture when pressure is lost. Enormous amounts of water are then lost when supply is restored.

People ought to become more conscious of the need and the ways of preserving more water. The introduction of metering is on the cards — but this strategy needs to be properly thought out.

It must not be allowed to become a mere business opportunity for entrepreneurs producing water meters, or for a new bureaucratic army of water meter readers. The focus must be on the efficient supply of clean water.

Government’s grant schemes proved very popular to make homes more energy efficient. Something similar could be devised to encourage water preservation.

In the quest for energy efficiency, attic insulation proved so effective in some instances during the recent cold spell that pipes in the attic froze or burst, and this created a whole new problem. Some people sought to prevent their pipes freezing by letting the water run all night. This then contributed enormously to the growing shortage of water.

People must be encouraged to ensure proper insulation of their pipes and water tanks. Charging for the amount of water used would undoubtedly discourage wasteful practices, especially leaving taps run overnight.