Sir, – The debate around a free water allowance with the imminent introduction of metered water charges reminds me of an example that I grew up with in South Africa, where water charges are part of everyday life.
One of the largest bulk water utilities in the world, Rand Water, supplies more than 11 million people with some of the cleanest, safest and healthiest water in the world.
Its customers include Johannesburg, which, incidentally, is the largest city in the world not located near a large water source. The city council of Johannesburg allocates each household a free water allowance of 6,000 litres per household per month, after which each kilolitre attracts a charge of between €0.60 and €1.80 (or between 6 cent and 18 cent per additional 100 litres), depending on total volumes used in the month.
To contextualise, 6,000 litres is equal to about 100 five-minute power showers. Households can also apply for an indigent rating according to the city’s poverty index, which would result in additional free water allowances per month.
I hope Irish Water will reflect on best practice in other world-class cities before finalising its pricing and metering structure for households. – Yours, etc,
VINCENT HIBBERT,
Camac Close,
Inchicore,
Dublin 8