Water Conservation Website Launched

Sligo County Council has launched a new website providing very useful information for the public on water conservation and water pricing.

The website, www.sligowater.com can also be accessed through the Water Services Section of Sligo County Council’s website: www.sligococo.ie

Sligo County Council delivers 38 million litres of water a day to homes, schools, businesses, farms and others. Consumers are provided with water from 10 public water supply schemes distributed through a network of 1,500 Kilometres. The water system in County Sligo serves 59,000 people through 7000 service connections. Charges have been applied to the non-domestic sector on a metered basis since the 1st January, 2006. Approximately 25% of the non-domestic customers are commercial and the remainder are agricultural.

Water conservation is the most cost-effective and environmentally way to reduce our demand for water, and is a key link between balancing current and future water needs. The available water conservation technology focuses on resources for local businesses, industries, communities and individuals. The roles of government and especially the private sector in water management are being radically reappraised.

The EU Water Framework Directive requires EU Member States to ensure, by 2010, that water-pricing policies provide adequate incentives to use water resources efficiently and to recover the true costs of water services in an equitable manner. Most countries are progressing towards water pricing systems. Investing in water supply and sanitation has produced benefits far greater than those directly related to the cost of treating water-related diseases. However the main water loss of a water supply system is caused primarily by leakages in the pipe system. Other influences such as loose fittings and joints and water meters can cause permanent loss.

The majority of the leakage was found since the introduction of meters. In the rural areas in Ireland most of the water consumption is for farming. Some farmers have large numbers of animals and use treated water for their stock and for all farming purposes.

European household consumption is around 150-200 litres and the Irish consumption in urban areas is over 250 litres. In addition, recreational activities such as swimming pools, golf, and other sports contribute to put pressure on water resources. All of these customers currently are not paying for the water they use. One of the biggest problems is that there is not an incentive to control and save water for any of the categories users.

For further information on water conservation and pricing, visit www.sligowater.com