Warning that group water schemes may collapse under new system

RURAL Ireland is sailing into troubled waters, the scale of which will become obvious when the full impact of water charges are revealed. One authority in this area told The Herald that he expects many group water schemes being supplied by public water to collapse as committee members become reluctant to act as collection agents for Irish Water.
Localised disputes over water usage and bills arise from time to time within group water schemes, but there is concern that the number of such disputes will escalate when the true impact of the charges are known – now expected to be twice the European average.
Another flash-point now being flagged is that farmers obtaining water from the same public supplies will be paying increased double bills – a biannual charge to Irish Water for domestic consumption, and bills from the local authority for fixed meters on their land.
This is of particular concern in the West of Ireland where fragmented farms are more common. Each parcel of land will have its own meter, which will attract a standing charge as well as usage charges.