Anton McNulty
antonmcnulty@mayonews.ie
Hundreds of new and functional water meters installed in new housing estates in the last decade will have to be removed and replaced to conform to the new water service regulations.
Water meters have been installed in the majority of new housing estates in Mayo in compliance with planning conditions and Director of Services, Paddy Mahon confirmed that these meters are likely to be replaced.
Speaking at last week’s meeting of the SPC on Water Supply, Fianna Fáil councillor Blackie Gavin said that 70 per cent of new houses in Castlebar are metered and it was ‘crazy’ for them to be replaced.
“The new housing estates that have been built have all got meters fitted outside them and these will have to be ripped up and new meters put in. What is happening here is madness. It is a shocking waste of public money,” he said.
Mr Mahon also warned councillors that once Irish Water is up and running the local authority will have no say in it and councillors will ‘have to get used to it’.
Sinn Féin councillor Rose Conway-Walsh raised concerns on the implications of the new service for rural communities and did not believe that metering will reduce water wastage.
However, Fine Gael councillor John O’Malley said he can’t wait for metering to happen, saying that it will reduce waste and people will only pay for what they use.
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