Charging for Water – the economic arguments – a limited resource

If economics were to be the predominant or deciding factor then no one would invest in their own domestic water rainwater system. This is especially so while the mains water supply was so freely available and without cost. So it’s safe to say that it will never be economically worthwhile to spend money on your own rainwater system if the mains water supply in Ireland is for free anyway.

There is a growing realization however that the Irish water supply and treatment system is becoming expensive and costs money to run. The debate that rages in Ireland at present is who will pay and how this cost is to be paid.

We also need to be reminded that our planet has limited resources. If our society continues to increase the demand for water and to excessively waste or misuse water; then the resource will eventually become inadequate or depleted. We cannot simply extract from the remaining virgin resources around the world without thought of the need to manage our finite resources.

We are being told that there is a water supply problem in the Dublin region of Ireland. This is the justification for constructing a large scheme to extract water from the Shannon to be piped to Dublin.

The Government seems to be determined to go ahead with this project. Without doubt the tax payer or the consumer will have to pay for it. It is my view that we should increasingly install our own low cost domestic water supply systems.