Call for water charges system to be restructured

COUNCILLOR SAYS HE KNOWS OF CASES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HIT WITH BILLS FOR THOUSANDS ‘OUT OF THE BLUE’

A GLARING anomaly that has left some new homeowners facing an unexpected bill for thousands of Euros for water and sewage connections must be addressed urgently.

That’s the view of Kanturk/ Mallow area county councillor Gerard Murphy (FG), who raised the issue with county engineer Kevin Morey at this week’s monthly meeting of the local authority’s northern area committee.

Cllr Murphy said that he knows of situations where new homeowners have been broadsided by bills of up to €9,000 from Irish Water to have their house connected to water supply and sewage extraction schemes.

“This can have a serious impact on people moving into a new home. Having saved money for a deposit, secured a mortgage and built a house, they are then hit with a connection bills for thousands,” said Cllr Murphy.

Mr Morey said the current system came into effect in 2014 following the formation of Irish Water. He pointed out that, up to then, the council had put development contribution charges for all amenities, including water, into a single payment – made when planning for a new home was granted.

“Since 2014 the council no longer includes the cost of water connections within its development contribution payments. They are deferred by Irish Water until a connection request is made,” said Mr Morey.

He said that, although applicants are informed of the change during the planning process, “it did not seem to register with some of them”.

“They certainly do not grasp the implications of that and are taken aback when they get a demand for the connection charge,” said Mr Morey.

He said the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) had recently published a consultation document linking the water and sewage charge back to the council’s development charge mechanism.

Cllr Murphy said the committee should write to both Irish Water and the Department of the Environment asking that they work out a fairer and more equitable system that does not leave people facing a huge bill “out of the blue”.

“The whole issue was very transparent when all amenities were included within the council’s development contributions and people knew how much they would cost. Now they are not even sure how much the water connections charge will be until they get their bill,” he said.

“We should write to Irish Water and the Department asking why people are being hit with these bills and detailing how the amounts charged are calculated.”

Cllr Murphy’s call was backed by his colleagues and it was agreed that the committee would address the issue with Irish Water and the Department of the Environment.