Household water charge for excess use

Currently, Uisce Éireann does not charge households for water supply or wastewater services and there is no timeline for when Excess Use Charge will be introduced. However, in the future, households connected to the water supply network may need to pay charges if they use more water than a certain amount. The limit will take into account how many people live in your home.

Uisce Éireann has written to people who are using an excessive amount of water to give them information about how to conserve water and deal with leaks. This gives people time to repair leaks and reduce their household’s water usage before the charges come in.

Uisce Eireann's Water Charges Plan 2024 describes how Excess Water Charges for domestic users will work. However, these charges will not apply until a legal framework is brought in to give them effect.

The occupier of the property will pay the excess use charge.

If you own a property, it is presumed that you are the occupier.

If you rent a property, you are the occupier.

Property owners must give Uisce Éireann information about the occupiers of the property within 20 days of a tenancy starting.

Who is a customer of Uisce Éireann?

You are a customer of Uisce Éireann if the following applies to you:

• Your property is connected to and supplied by a public water main for water
• Your property is connected to and uses a public sewer for wastewater removal

The charge will be per service. So, if you use both public water and wastewater services, you will be charged excess use charges for both services.

If your water comes from a private well or a private group water scheme and you have a private wastewater treatment system (such as a septic tank) you are not a customer of Uisce Éireann and will not have to pay excess use charges.

This table shows who is a customer of Uisce Éireann and which systems will be subject to excess use charges:

The average amount of water used by a household in Ireland is 125,000 litres per year. The excess charges threshold will be 213,000 litres per year. This is 1.7 times the average amount.

Water allowance

If your home uses more than the ‘threshold amount’ it will be considered as having excessive water usage. Homes with more than 4 people living there will get an extra ‘allowance amount’. The allowance amount is worth of 25,000 litres per year, above the threshold amount, for each extra person living there.

How is my water usage measured?

Your water meter measures how much water your home uses. The system will assume that the amount of wastewater you produce is the same as the amount of water you use.

If your property does not have a meter and Uisce Éireann suspects excess water use, they may install a meter or use other technology to calculate your usage. If they detect excess usage, unmetered customers will be charged the cap unless they install a meter. The cap will be set at €500 per year for both water and wastewater services.

Can I view my water consumption online?

Yes, metered households can view their consumption by logging onto their Uisce Éireann online account.

Exemptions

In certain circumstances you may be allowed increased water usage, for example, if:

• There is a change to the number of residents at the property (see ‘Water allowance’ above) – called an ‘additional occupancy allowance’
• You have a medical need which increases your water usage – called a ‘medical need exemption’

Uisce Éireann will charge €1.85 per cubic meter (1,000 litres) for usage over the threshold (see ‘Water allowance’ above).

The charge will be capped at €250 per year for water and €250 per year for wastewater services. So, the maximum charge for excess water usage will be €500 per year.

Fixing leaks

Homeowners are legally responsible for water pipes and systems inside their dwelling and between the dwelling and the property boundary. This means that you would normally need to pay a plumber to fix a leak, if it is inside your home or on the external supply pipe between your home and the property boundary. You can use Uisce Éireann’s checklist to see if you have any internal leaks.

Uisce Éireann has a First Fix Free Scheme which will investigate and repair leaks for you. Uisce Éireann will contact you by post if your water meter shows that there might be a leak on your external supply pipe.

If you qualify for the scheme Uisce Éireann will offer to investigate the pipe and repair any identified leaks for free. Generally, this will involve fully replacing the pipe from the meter to a point as close to the dwelling as possible.

Who qualifies for the First Fix Scheme?

You qualify for the First Fix Free Scheme if you:

• Are a domestic or mixed-use customer of Uisce Éireann (if you are a mixed-use customer, you must mainly use your water for domestic purposes)
• Have a confirmed leak on your external supply pipe

You can access the scheme even if you:

• Are not registered with Uisce Éireann
• Do not have a water meter
• Do not have an internal stop valve

To register for the scheme fill out the online application form

Find out more about if your property qualifies for the scheme in the First Fix Scheme: Customer Guide.

To register with Uisce Éireann

• Online at water.ie
• By phone: LoCall 1890 448 448 or 01 707 2824, 8am-8pm Monday to Friday and 9am-5.30pm Saturday

For queries about water supply, metering or leaks contact Uisce Éireann on:

• Website: water.ie
• Phone: LoCall 1890 278 278 or 01 707 2828, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Minicom: 1890 378 378 (for hearing-impaired customers with their own minicom equipment)

How do I make a complaint about Uisce Éireann?

If are unhappy about the service you are getting from Uisce Éireann, you can make a complaint to Uisce Éireann by:

• Phone: 0818 778 778
• Email: operations@water.ie
• Post:

Uisce Éireann

PO Box 860

South City Delivery Office

Cork City

• Text into voice/ voice into text calls: 1800 378 378 (for hearing impaired customers)

The Uisce Éireann website has more information on how your complaint will be processed

Complaints about water quality

If you have a complaint about water quality that has not been resolved by Uisce Éireann, you should refer it to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is the environmental regulator of Uisce Éireann.

Environmental Protection Agency
PO Box 3000
Johnstown Castle Estate
Wexford

Telephone: (053) 916 0600
Web: www.epa.ie/enforcement/report