Water Services Training Group

1. Water Services Training Group 15th Annual Conference Water Services in Ireland – Organisational modernisation and new challenges 13th October 2011

2. Water Metering and Charges David Kelly Water Services Policy Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

3. Programme for Government 2011 • To achieve a better quality water and environment we will introduce a fair funding model to deliver clean and reliable water • We will first establish a new State owned water utility company to take over responsibility from the separate local authorities for Ireland’s water infrastructure and to drive new investment • The objective is to install water meters in every household in Ireland and to move to a charging system that is based on use above a free allowance Annual Conference October 2011

4. Agreement with EU/IMF • “The Government will prepare proposals for implementation of the recommendations of the independent assessment of transfer of responsibility for water services provisions from local authorities to a water utility in consultation with European Commission Services with a view to starting charging during the EU/IMF Programme period”. Annual Conference October 2011

5. Current Position • No Government Decision • Preparatory work being coordinated by Department • Technical Working Group established to advise on the metering programme Annual Conference October 2011

6. Technical Working Group • To advise on technical aspects of water metering programme • To review available technologies and equipment • To carry out market testing to prepare costings for programme • To review the approach to installations • To advise on procurement Annual Conference October 2011

7. Scope of Metering Programme • Households connected to public water supplies • Group schemes and households with private wells are not included in programme! • Approximately 1.3m households are connected to public water supplies • It is unlikely that all households will be metered. Annual Conference October 2011

8. Hard Cases • Apartments, flats and other multi-occupancy buildings • Households with shared backyard service connections • Difficult to locate stopcocks • Estimated that 1.05m households will be metered in initial stages Annual Conference October 2011

9. Survey of Households • Who are our customers? • What will be required to install a meter? • National survey of households proposed to collect data in preparation for installation phase • Different categories of installation can be quantified

10. Survey of Households • Pilot surveys carried out in Kerry, Fingal and Wexford County Councils • Findings reviewed • Database and survey application being developed • Guidance document prepared Annual Conference October 2011

11. Installation Categories • Households with boundary box/meter • Households with serviceable boundary box • Household with unserviceable boundary box • Households with stopcock located and identified • Households where stopcock cannot be located Annual Conference October 2011

12. Procurement • Procurement of equipment Single national contract considered preferred option. • Installations Framework contracts managed locally considered preferred option Annual Conference October 2011

13. Charging Issues to be Addressed • Charge for unmetered households – fixed or assessed? • Development of a customer database for billing • Collection rates critical • Provision of the free allowance Annual Conference October 2011

14. Other issues • Smart metering integration • Public awareness campaign Annual Conference October 2011

15. Next Steps • Submission of proposals to Government • Subject to Government approval - • Commencement of survey • Procurement of equipment • Installations Annual Conference October 2011