More than one-third of domestic water supply used by just 10% of households, CSO finds

Ten per cent of domestic water users consumed more than one-third of supply last year, according to statistics released on Monday by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

According to the latest CSO report, Domestic Metered Public Water Consumption, the top 10 per cent of households accounted for 35 per cent of all domestic metered water consumption in 2022.

Legislation passed between 2007 and 2017 proposed a household water allowance of 213,000 litres a year which is 1.7 times the average amount of water used by a household per year.

Above that level, the legislation provided for charges for excessive use of water, which were capped at €250 per year for water and a further €250 a year for waste water.

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However, despite water conservation being one of three key themes set out by the Government in its Water Services Policy Statement 2018–2025, no decision has been made by Government in relation to a date for introducing household water conservation and the associated charging for excess use.

Uisce Éireann said it “continues to liaise with the CRU [Commission for Regulation of Utilities] and the Government in relation to this”.

The CSO report also found:

• The average (mean) monthly consumption of water per meter per day in 2022 was 357 litres which was 5 per cent lower than in 2021.
• In 2022, the average domestic monthly consumption of water was highest in July and August at 372 litres per meter per day.
• Wexford had the lowest average domestic monthly consumption of water in 2022 at 305 litres per meter per day, while Longford had the highest at 424 litres.