Water Policy Consultation
The Irish Government has launched a consultation process (January 2012) concerning water policy, including issues of water metering and water rates, as well as plans to set up a new national water utility. It is inviting responses to its position paper, “Reform of the Water Sector in Ireland”, until 24 February 2012. The document offers a useful window on government thinking and on the various pressures and problems that may well ultimately shape policy.
The position paper lays out government plans to form a national water utility which will manage all issues relating to domestic and commercial water supply, address environmental and climage change issues, oversee implementation of aspects of EU policy (important deadlines are looming) and respond to changes in population nationally and in urban areas.
The document also restates the government ideal of implementing water meters in every household in the country, and to charge users by usage beyond a certain free quota of water per household. Several pressures emerge here.
First, while the goal is to bring in revenue that will meet the cost of our water supply, supplying and installing water meters will itself be costly and time consuming. The document considers the possibility of simply introducing a flat-rate charge, but recognises that, though this would require no government investment in metering, it would not address the need to conserve already limited water supplies. A second option considered is to spread installation over a period of ten years or more, with a flat-rate charged being imposed on those without meters. (100,000 household per year until 2021 would leave 500,000 homes unmetered.)
A further idea is to have an opt-in system where households could choose to have a water meter installed, bear at least some costs of the installation, and claw back some of those costs by acheiving water usage reductions. The idea is that it would prove cheaper in the long-run to install a water meter than to remain on a higher flat-rate charge. The document acknowledges that this would be socially divisive — more available to those with greater means. Finally, the possibility of installing meters only in certain categories of property is considered, e.g. in new houses, sold houses, rental properties, etc.
(A rather different option considered, but largely dismissed, is to focus on repairing the existing water network to eliminate leakage. However, the high costs mean that savings would be significantly less than the revenue generated by water metering. This approach would do nothing to change our water usage patterns.)
The fundamental drawback of all of these options is pretty clear: water metering both as a source of revenue and an impetus towards water conservation will be significantly undermined if it is not implemented quickly and universally. And many will be (rightly) unhappy with the inequalities of treatment any of these alternative options will generate. At the same time, the EU/IMF deal requires that water metering generate a revenue stream by 2014. In this framework, it is not certain what free domestic quota of water, if any, the government will be able to afford.
In sum, on these issues, the position paper raises more questions than it offers potential solutions, suggesting that the consultation process needs to part of a substantial debate on these issues. In years to come, we might well come to regret decisions made on the basis of financial practicality rather than good practice, which attends to the needs of households and the pressures upon them.
Threat of Further Water Contamination
Earlier posts considered the most recent EPA report on water quality in Ireland and the implications of the EU’s soon to be implemented 2000 Water Framework Directive.
For a further perspective, check out Frank McDonald’s Irish Times article (Monday, 7 November 2011), entitled “Further Water Contamination Inevitable if Strict Policy Not Adopted to Protect Resources”.
McDonald highlights the threat posed to water supplies by the Celtic Tiger sprawl, and specifically the uneven standards of sewerage systems and schemes installed in developments.
He also states that Ireland faces a threat of ongoing, daily EU fines, if it fails to meet the standards set out in the EU Water Framework Directive, 2000.
Irish Water Laws
Changes in Irish Water Law
The Water Services Act 2007 represents a major change in regulations concerning use of water in Ireland, which will have profound impact on business and domestic water usage into the future. The provisions of the Act dovetail with the EU’s Water Framework Directive, which gives legal weight to the polluter pays principle. This principle requires that commercial and domestic water users not only pay for their water supply, but for the cost of treating the waste water that they produce. The aim of the WFD is to minimise the impact of human water use on the environment, by having the user pay for treatment of waste water.
While some aspects of the Act have been implemented, there are many provisions that remain to be, so that its full impact has not been felt. Businesses, not least, car washing & valeting services, will be concerned with the laws that the Act introduces concerning wasting water, conservation of water, and water pollution. Of particular significance for households will be what the Act has to say about water rates and water metering.
Wasting Water
Under the Act any person wilfully wasting or permitting water wastage commits a legal offence. In particular, mention is made of wastage due to leaking or inadequate pipes, valves, etc., or poor management of operational systems. The water service provider – usually a local authority – may direct (with force of law) that the owner or occupier of a premises upgrade their plumbing or works to a standard determined by the service provider to eliminate leaks and waste of water, and/or to introduce more water-efficient work practices. Moreover, the water service provider may restrict the amount of water supplied to the premises, usually with notice, but with immediate effect if concerned that human health, the environment or the integrity of the water provision system are threatened. Any financial costs or losses due to the restriction or even cutting-off of a water supply in these circumstances are borne by the owner or occupier in question.
Conservation of Water
The Minister for the Environment is given significant powers to alter established patterns of water usage in order to conserve water. S/he can not only issue directives about water conservation, but can require the introduction of specific devices or systems to reduce water use. The Minister can also require the introduction of technologies or systems to collect, treat (to a specified standard), and re-use (for purposes other than human consumption) “storm water” (i.e. rainwater) or “grey water” (water already used on a premises, but not in toilets or urinals, and not otherwise seriously contaminated by use).
Already familiar is the provision that, if there is a water shortage or threat of water shortage, a water service provider may prohibit using a hosepipe to water a garden, parks or sports grounds, water or spray crops, or to wash a car or other vehicle. And, as many commercial car washes will have experienced during and after the cold snaps of the last couple of winters, water service providers can prohibit or restrict water use in commercial car washing services during times of shortage.
Water Pollution
A significant change introduced by the Act concerns the water run-off from trade premises. Prior to this Act, collection and treatment of run-off water were typically of concern only to highly regulated sectors such as agriculture, heavy industry, or the chemical industry. The Act now provides that any discharge, by any premises, of trade effluent or other matter into a sewer owned or controlled by the water authority or any storm drain, will be an offence, unless it is done under licence. And such licences are granted subject to the environmental or human effects of such discharges, and can be refused or reviewed. This provision will have a direct and serious impact on car washing businesses, which will have to collect and treat any runoff that is contaminated with toxic chemicals.
Consequences for businesses
To recap, the Water Services Act 2007 will have significant impact on businesses when fully implemented, especially those which are traditionally heavy water-users. Businesses will have to:
- Cut out water wastage
- Introduce water-efficient technologies and work practices
- Collect, treat and (where possible) establish means of re-using run-off from their various processes, and not allow run-off to enter sewer systems or drains
- Collect and, where appropriate, use storm water
- Bear the costs of implementing the above measures
In response to these challenges, GreenValet has developed a complete solution for car wash & valeting businesses, which can be used with waterless and water-based systems. GreenValet’s waterless car wash system completely eliminates use of toxic substances and practically eliminates run-off. Our solution for water-based car wash system immediately renders such a business 100% non-toxic and significantly reduces water usage.
Water Metering
The Act also provides for the introduction of water metering and water charges. Once introduced, water meters are mandatory and the local authority can recoup the costs of supplying and fitting the meters via a rental charge, though the Act allows that meters might be supplied free of charge. What people may not be aware of is that the Act also allows for metering of domestic waste water. All the water from a household that ends up entering the drains or sewers can be metered and users can be charged accordingly. This is already the case in the UK, for instance, where the charge for waste water can be as high as the charge for a water supply in the first place. The challenge then for households will be to
- not to waste water
- be water-efficient
- re-use grey-water
- collect and use rainwater (other than for human consumption)
GreenValet waterless car cleaning products and domestic cleaning products will help you reduce both domestic water usage and the amount of chemicals introduced into your waste water.
For great water savings, see our Top Ten Water-Saving Tips.
The EU — The Polluter Pays
The EU Water Framework Directive
In 2000, the European Union issued its Water Framework Directive (WFD). This directive called for a more holistic approach to how water quality and levels of water pollution are assessed. It placed the focus on river basins, because this is where most cities, towns, industries and agricultural activities are centred, and because rivers are a primary source of water for domestic and other uses. (It also takes other water systems into account.) The WFD directed that, in future, water quality and water pollution must be assessed, not simply by water testing against a given standard, but by examining the impact of human activity upon the ecosystem of a river basin or water system as a whole. The impact on animal and plant life, changes in water chemistry and in hydromorphology, will determine whether a water system is judged to have good quality water.
This move raises the bar for water quality testing, challenging any temptation to set standards that might be more easily met, but which would have an environmental cost. Every EU country must achieve a ‘good’ status in all of their significant river basins and water systems by 2015. To see where Ireland stands in relation to these standards, see our blog post Water Quality in Ireland.
The Polluter Pays
Another significant, related directive of the WFD is that the polluter pays principle should inform not only policy around major pollution incidents, but water supply and waste water charges as well. This has far-reaching implications. The polluter pays principle says that industries, businesses and agriculture must pay for the cost of water supplies and also for any waste water treatment of the run-off from their plants, premises or farms. All such costs associated with maintaining water quality are to be built into users’ water charges.
However, almost every human use of water pollutes it. Domestic washing, cleaning, toilet and sewer systems, all add dirt, waste and chemicals to the water we use. And so the polluter pays principle applies to domestic water usage too. Under the WFD, domestic users will pay for the water they use and also for the post-use treatment of that water. This is already the case in the UK, where domestic users can pay as much for the quantity of waste water they allow flow into the sewers as for the water they draw from the water supply in the first place. (Waste water is also metered). The challenge for households will be to minimise water use and to minimise their pollution of that water.
Water Charges
The WFD does not allow governments to profit from water charges, but the directive recommends two policies which will push water charges upward. First, governments are directed to price water at a sufficiently high level so as that users will be motivated to reduce their water usage. (Higher water charges, together with more water-efficient technologies, have been an important factor in falling domestic water usage in many European countries.) Second, governments are encouraged to take a long-term economic view. In principle, this means that prices might fall due to anticipated falling costs of supplying water in the future. In practice, it is more likely to mean that governments will factor into current prices anticipated future increases in the cost of maintaining an adequate water supply due to higher demand, increased industrial activity, the need to replace or upgrade infrastructure, or more exacting environmental standards, etc.
The Challenges Ahead
In 2007, the Irish Government enacted the Water Services Act, which goes some way toward meeting the requirements of the EU directive, though many of the Act’s provisions remain to be fully implemented. As they are implemented, the challenge for households and businesses will be
- to reduce water use through elimination of water wastage
- to reduce water use through water-efficient practices and equipment
- to minimise contamination of water used
- to re-use grey-water appropriately
- to collect and use rainwater appropriately
GreenValet’s waterless car cleaning & valeting products and domestic cleaning products offer households significant ways of reducing their water usage.
For car valeting businesses and the auto industry, GreenValet’s Complete Car Cleaning & Valeting Solution offers a 100% non-toxic waterless system and a water-based system, which will reduce water use significantly and which is 100% non-toxic.
See our Top 10 Water Saving Tips.
Top 10 Water Saving Tips
As you replace your existing household equipment, choose the water-efficient models available and you will save on your water usage. You might even decide that it is worth upgrading an item such as a washing machine for greater water efficiency. However, there are many practical things that you can do at low cost or no cost at all that will save lots of water.
1. Install a low-flow showerhead and tap aerators
Reducing from a showerhead with a flow-rate of 9 litres per minute to, say, a 6 litres per minute low-flow showerhead saves 24 litres of water during an 8-minute shower. Tap aerators add air into your water flow, producing a bubbly stream of water that reduces the flow rate but maintains the effectiveness of a stronger flow.
2. Have a shorter shower
Sometimes water saving is this simple. If you normally spend 8 minutes in the shower, have a 6 minute shower instead. This is an automatic 25% water saving, and will save you 14–18 litres of water per shower. (Over 60% of Irish people spend 10 minutes or more in the shower.) A five-minute shower is easily possible. In areas Australia with water shortages, 3–4 minute showers are the norm. One Australian conservation group has even come up with a method for having a one-minute shower!
3. Place a plastic bottle filled with water/pebbles in toilet cistern
Carefully placing a one litre bottle of pebbles or water into your toilet cistern will save you 1 litre per flush. Depending on the size of the cistern and the placing of its flush mechanism, you may be able to add more or larger displacements, saving even more water. Also, don’t use your toilet as a waste disposal mechanism – throw those used tissues in the bin, don’t flush them away.
4. Don’t let water running while washing hands, brushing teeth
Allowing the tap to run for 2 minutes while you brush your teeth or wash your hands uses about 12 litres of water. When washing your hands put the plug in the sink and add only the water you need. When brushing your teeth, use a glass of water for rinsing.
5. Fix dripping taps
A dripping tap can waste a huge quantity of water. Limerick County Council estimate that a dripping tap can waste up to 90 litres per day. Even a loss of 20 litres a day (about one drip per second) would add up to over 7,500 litres of water in a year.
6. Full clothes washes
Even an efficient, modern washing machine will use 45 litres of water in a single wash. One full-load instead of two half-filled washes will mean 45 litres used instead of 90 litres.
7. Full dishwasher loads
A newer model dishwasher will use about 20 litres of water. An older model might use almost double that. Turn on your dishwasher only when it is full and you will save lots of water.
8. Use plugged sink or bowl when rinsing dishes or washing vegetables
Allowing taps to run while rinsing dishes or washing vegetables uses about 6 litres of water per minute. Using a bowl or plugged sink will use a small fraction of that. A bowl of water used to rinse vegetables can be re-used to water plants.
9. Waterless car washing
Amazingly, washing your car at home with a hosepipe can use anything from 300 to 450 litres of water! Washing with a bucket and sponge uses about 30 litres (4 buckets). Waterless car products can reduce the amount of water used practically to zero.
10. Collect rainwater in a water butt
Watering your garden or washing down your vehicles, driveway, footpaths or patio area uses a lot of water, especially if you use a hose. Why not install a water butt to collect rainwater from your drainpipes for these purposes. Anything from 100 litres capacity to 750 litre capacity and beyond is possible, according to your needs, space and budget.