First water meter is installed as part of water charges plan

The first domestic water meter in the country was installed in a house in Maynooth today.
It’s the first step in a 30-month programme which continues to the end of 2016. Over 1 million water meters will be installed outside domestic residences on the public water mains.
Three regional contractors have been appointed to manage the installation of water meters across six regions including: GMC/Sierra Ltd.; J Murphy & Sons Ltd.; and Coffey Northumbrian Ltd. In the first three months, water meters will be installed in Kildare, moving swiftly to Kerry, Meath, Wexford, Dublin City, Limerick, Mayo and Fingal.
An average of 27,000 water meters will be installed each month making it the most ambitious metering programme by international standards.
John Tierney, Managing Director, Irish Water said the meter installations would be one of the most ambitious such programmes ever undertaken.
“Creating a national water utility is one of the biggest tasks ever carried out in the semi state sector. Our primary focus is to deliver enhanced water services in partnership with the local authorities, communities and businesses. We will develop an efficient and effective organisation that becomes a centre of excellence for water services, delivers economies of scale and reduced operating costs over the long term,” he continued.
There are no upfront costs for meters and water charges are due to be introduced in the last three months of 2014 with first bills issuing from January 2015.  Advance notification will be issued to householders before meters are installed with information packs outlining the details of the installation process.
However, the commencement of the meter installations has prompted an angry response from anti water charge campaigners.
The Socialist Party, in a statement, said the proposal was “profit-driven and has nothing to do with water conservation”.
The party said meters would simply facilitate the charging for the use of a basic necessity, currently paid for through central taxation.
“Homeowners have every right to oppose and resist the installation of these meters and the introduction of water charges,” the group sasid.
It claimed that water meters have been found to reduce consumption by only an average of 10%.
“There simply is not the profligate wasting of water by householders which is often claimed. Without argument, the most effective way to reduce use of water is to stop leakage and the rate of ‘unaccounted for water,’ which is up to 40% in many parts of Ireland. This can be done by investment in upgrading and repairing water pipes, which could also create thousands of jobs.”
And the party predicted that once water charges were established, the water network would be sold off to private companies.