As water supplies across the country remain at critically low levels, authorities last night warned that water supplies in some parts of the country may not be back to normal for several months.
It”s no secret that Ireland has one of the highest water availability rates in Europe and according to Met eireann annual rainfall … totals in 2009 were well above normal for the second successive year. However Irish rivers which are the source for much of the Irish water supply are just not able to keep up with the demand.
The water shortages came as Chambers Ireland said the issue highlighted the need for water meters and charges for all users to be introduced as a matter of urgency. The body”s deputy chief executive Sean Murphy said “Water shortages simply would not happen if people were paying for these scarce resources.”
However one TD said “The latest water shortage crisis was entirely predictable given the shambolic state of the country”s water network and the Government”s failure to fix it, especially when 43% of the supply was already leaking into the ground,”
Have your say:
- Would the introduction of water meters and charges prevent future water shortages and rationing?
- Or should there be better monitoring and reserving of our water use by authorities throughout the year and not just when supplies run low?