Water Meters...A Holistic Approach to Water Conservation



Copyright Plymouth Water

 Quite of few people have been asking for my opinion on the introduction of water meters in Ireland. To be quite honest I am not generally in favour of universal metering simply because of the cost. I would favour a temporary flat rate charge in areas where supplies are not at a critical level, but the introduction of meters in areas where alternative supply side investment is being planned, such as Dublin. However, I feel that the introduction of meters as planned is very crude and that a more integrated approach is needed for water conservation.  A more ambitious plan, which would secure our water supplies for at least the next fifty years, would be to include the householder more directly in this process. I would like to see every household have their supply pipe checked when the meter is installed for leaks, that it is not lead and that the electricity system is not earthed via the pipe. Also, every householder should be given the option to have all their taps and shower heads, and possibly also their toilets replaced with conservation low-flow units at a discounted rate to ensure maximum conservation of water. This installation of meters and household upgrades should be carried out by registered plumbers trained for this task. I would also subsequently like to see all households given the option to buy into some form of service arrangement so that they can have their household system checked regularly for leaks and repaired where necessary for a small annual fee. This would make water conservation savings well in excess of 40% possible as well as ensuring higher quality water. We need to tackle the lead issue, promote the sensible use of water and to reduce leakage on the supply side of the service pipe.

One cup of coffee is equivalent to 130 litres of water

The Water Footprint Network is based at the University of Twente in the Netherlands whose mission is to promote the transition towards sustainable, fair and efficient use of fresh water resources worldwide (Link). This remarkable organization is doing this via a number of interesting initiatives including the development of a water footprint model. Water diaries are widely used to construct how water is used within the home from a supply source. However, they do not take into account how much water we consume indirectly through the manufacture and preparation of food, clothes and other goods. It takes 6,800 litres of water to make a single pair of denim jeans for example. The calculation of virtual water usage has proven to be very difficult to calculate until recently.  However, the WFN have produced an on-line calculator for this very purpose. This calculator is based on an impressive research base with a large number of their reports and refereed papers available as downloads. From our exploration of the model, it is very accurate. The calculator can be accessed via this link.