Your water meter is coming soon

IW/MP/B01/S-V3/1114 Your water meter is coming soon www.water.ie1 If you have any questions or require further information, please contact us: Web...
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IW/MP/B01/S-V3/1114

Your water meter is coming soon

www.water.ie1

If you have any questions or require further information, please contact us: Web:

www.water.ie

Twitter:

@IrishWater

Telephone: LoCall 1890 278 278 +353 1 707 2828 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Minicom:

1890 378 378 (for hearing impaired customers with their own minicom equipment)



Irish Water PO Box 860 South City Delivery Office Cork City

This publication is available in Braille, on CD and in large text format on request by calling 1890 448 448. Please note that the rates charged for 1890 (LoCall) numbers may vary across different service providers. Calls made using mobiles may be more expensive. Safeguarding your water for your future

Dear Householder, Irish Water is responsible for providing your water services. We’ve been given responsibility for this vital communal resource and, as its custodians, we want to work with you to safeguard it. The way we interact with our water services needs to change. Domestic meter installation will enable the majority of customers to keep track of how much water they use and allow Irish Water to improve its network management. There is no direct charge to you for the supply and fitting of a water meter, and the work required is planned to begin in the next two weeks. We will deliver another notification to your home at least two days before work is due to begin. Please be sure to read this when you receive it. In the meantime, it is very important that you read this booklet as it gives detailed information about our work, and what to expect when we install your water meter. If you have any questions after reading the booklet, please visit www.water.ie or call us on 1890 278 278. Yours faithfully,

Paul O’Donoghue Head of Customer Operations

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Why are we changing the way we supply water services in Ireland? Water is one of our most valuable resources. It has shaped our landscape, dictated the location of our cities, protected our health and fuelled our economic development. Clean water is expensive to both produce and manage It seems simple, but there is a complex and expensive process to provide water services, to treat raw water and transform it into clean drinking water, and to treat your wastewater so that it can be safely reintroduced to our rivers, lakes and the sea. Our pipes, sewers, treatment plants and reservoirs are badly in need of investment to keep pace with increasing demands and to ensure high quality water continues to be supplied throughout the country. Increasing investment will lead to improved and safer water services Despite the good work of the Local Authorities, much greater investment is needed nationally to address weaknesses in the water system. These weaknesses include: >> high levels of water leakage; >> varying standards in water quality; >> disruptions to supply; >> environmental compliance. The new funding model, based on revenue collection and reinvestment, will ensure that the public water system can meet the challenges of the future and deliver standards of which we can all be proud. We are at the start of a long journey together As part of our new long term approach to managing Ireland’s vital water resources, Irish Water is introducing water metering to homes around the country. The information both Irish Water and its customers will get from the water meters will enable both to adjust to more sustainable water management. Irish Water | Your water meter is coming soon | 4

Why is Irish Water installing meters? Water meters are an important tool for providing information about household water usage. Knowing more about how much water you use will make it easier for you to manage and control your bills. This will also enable Irish Water to account for water delivered more accurately and take steps to reduce leakage both in the public distribution system and within customer properties. Irish Water is installing water meters under the Water Services Acts, 2007-2013.

How will using meters reduce water leakage? Leakage on the water supply network in Ireland is unacceptably high. Irish Water is targeting reduction in water losses as a key priority in delivering a better and more cost effective water supply service to customers. Meters are being installed outside the boundary of residential properties and therefore will measure the amount of water supplied to the home. Water meters installed by Irish Water to date are providing data that gives a unique insight into the extent and nature of customer side leaks. Irish Water will notify you and provide advice if your water meter indicates a customer side leak.

What is a water meter? A water meter is a device which measures the amount of water supplied to your home. There is no direct charge to you for the fitting of the water meter and installers, working on behalf of Irish Water, plan to begin working in your area in the next two weeks. Typically and where it is possible to do so, the meter will be placed underground in a meter box in the footpath or verge outside your home. For further information, follow our step-by-step guide to metering or watch our Metering Explained video at www.water.ie/metering Important: Please read our helpful ‘Stay Safe Guide’ on page 10 for more information on safety and security during the meter installation process. Irish Water | Your water meter is coming soon | 5

Will every home get a water meter? No. Not every home will be metered at this time. At some properties the supply pipe to the property from the public water main may not be easily or economically accessible. Other factors that may inhibit the installation of a meter can include the location of the stop valve, shared water supply and the condition and/or location of the water supply pipe to your home. What do I do if I have a medical requirement or accessibility concerns? If you have a disability, mobility or medical concern which may require additional support or advice during the meter installation process, please let us know immediately by calling 1890 278 278 or Minicom 1890 378 378.

Do I need to give permission for a water meter to be installed? Irish Water is currently implementing phase one of a national programme to install over one million water meters outside residential properties in Ireland by the end of 2016. In this phase water meters are typically being installed outside residential properties on publicly accessible land. You do not need to be at home or give permission to have a water meter installed. However, if you are at home, installers working on behalf of Irish Water may knock on your door to let you know that they will be working outside. Under this phase of the metering programme, Irish Water is also installing water meters in common areas of private estates.

What should I expect during the install? Irish Water is committed to installing meter boxes and water meters with the minimum of inconvenience to you and your neighbours. Typically, works will take place between 7.30am – 7.30pm Monday to Friday and 8.00am – 1.00pm on Saturday.

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You do not need to be at home while your meter box or water meter is being installed. However, if you are at home, installers working on behalf of Irish Water may knock on your door to let you know that they will be working outside. The installation process may restrict access to your driveway and will cause disruption to the public road or footpath outside your home and in your area, which may last for a few days. This is unavoidable but we’ll try to keep disruption to a minimum and make sure that you have safe pedestrian access to and from your home while all work is being carried out. If it turns out that it is not possible to fit a water meter on the date advised, then we may need to make another visit, or we will re-assess the situation at a later date.

Can I use water during the install? The actual fitting of the meter box and water meter may take up to two hours and your water supply will be interrupted from time to time throughout this period. While your water supply is off, please: >> don’t use the kitchen cold water tap, or any other tap that is fed directly off the mains, as this could cause the sink to overflow if it is left on when supply is restored >> don’t drink water from your hot water tap >> don’t use household appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers, which rely on a constant supply of water >> don’t use other devices running on mains water pressure While your water supply is off, typically you can: >> use other cold water or hot water taps in your usual way, such as a bathroom tap to wash your hands* >> flush the toilet After the meter has been fitted, and the water supply has been restored, run the cold tap in the kitchen for a few minutes to ensure any residue is flushed out. * Please note only water from a mains water tap should be used for drinking. Irish Water | Your water meter is coming soon | 7

Can I use my central heating if the water is off? During the short time your water supply is interrupted most central heating systems can be used. However, if you are unsure please refer to your manufacturer’s guide or check with a heating professional before using your central heating system.

What happens after installation? Once your meter box and water meter is installed we’ll contact you (on the same day or in the days following) to check that your water supply is working correctly and to confirm that the meter we’ve installed is directly connected to your supply. Where we’ve installed a meter box we will then return the area excavated to its proper condition. This is an essential part of the work and again we will try, whenever possible, to keep disruption to a minimum. This ground repair work might initially be temporary. We will complete permanent ground repair work, or reinstatement, typically in three days but within a maximum of ten working days. We can’t guarantee that the repair material used, such as concrete or tarmac, will precisely match the material that was there before but it will be repaired in line with Regulations set out by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. It is important to realise that the colour of the replacement material may differ initially from the original surface.

Can I remove a water meter? No. Interference with or removal of a water meter is a criminal offence under the Water Services Act 2007. It may also cause interruption to or contamination of your water supply. The water meter outside your home is part of the water network operated by Irish Water. To ensure a safe and clean supply of water, all works on this important network should only be carried out by fully trained and authorised personnel. Water meters are being fitted by personnel who are fully trained in meter installation and water hygiene. Irish Water | Your water meter is coming soon | 8

Who will pay for water services? All households that are connected to a public water main and/or public sewer are liable for water charges. They are deemed to be a customer of Irish Water under the Water Services Act 2013. Where a customer receives one but not both services (water supply or wastewater), the charge will be for that service only. If you are not supplied by a public water main and are not connected to a public sewer, then you are not liable for water charges from Irish Water.

When will I be charged for Water Services? Domestic water charges for public water services apply from 1 January 2015 for both metered and unmetered homes, with first bills arriving from April 2015. For more information, please visit www.water.ie

How will my water meter be read? Your water meter will be read remotely using ‘drive by’ technology. Irish Water meters feature Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) technology where a transmitter periodically sends your meter reading to a receiver unit in one of our branded, meter reading vehicles. This means we won’t usually need to open the meter box to take a meter reading as it can be read remotely using ‘drive by’ technology. Irish Water’s meters maintain a record of the reading at midnight on the last day of each month. This provides Irish Water with an accurate month end/month start cumulative consumption on an ongoing basis. Irish Water will collect these month end records each time a scheduled drive-by reading is carried out as part of the normal read cycle, usually every three months. This information will be used to calculate your bill. For more information on AMR technology, please visit www.water.ie to view our information booklet ‘Irish Water Meters and AMR technology’ or telephone 1890 448 448 to request a copy.

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Irish Water’s ‘Stay Safe Guide’ Irish Water staff and installers are trained to always identify who they are and who they are representing. They will always present their identity card and our meter installers will not ask to enter your home. This Stay Safe Guide is a series of sensible steps everyone should follow when dealing with people calling to their home: 1. Always look through a window or door viewer before opening the door 2. Only open your door after connecting a door chain lock or placing your foot behind the door 3. Switch on outside lights when it is dark 4. Request and examine identity cards 5. Always think ‘safety’ – do not leave strangers alone on your doorstep while you go into another room. Always close the door if you need to do this. Do not leave strangers alone in your home 6. Take precautions – if you are unsure or suspicious please refuse access

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What do I need to know about electrical earthing, and why should I care? Irish Water is committed to operating under the best standards of customer engagement and care. For this reason, we have included below a brief overview of the issue of the use of metal piping as an electrical earth. In the past, it was common practice for earthing connections to be made to the incoming metal water pipe. However, this practice is unsafe and has been prohibited for over 40 years. As a property owner, it is your responsibility both legally and financially to ensure your property’s electrical earthing meets the current regulated safety standards. The meter boxes and water meters being installed for Irish Water are made from non-conductive material and are not capable of enabling an electrical earth. If, after reading this, you feel the need to get your property checked, you need to contact your electrician to investigate further. If you do not own this property, please ensure that the owner or landlord is aware of their duty in this area.

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