Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 270: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the plans he has to change the exorbitant cost of metered water on farms where there is more than one drinking trough per farm; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many fragmented farms may have a need to have six to eight water troughs; if it is still the policy of the local authorities to charge for water pumped from source rather than water used at tap or trough; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27598/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Local authorities are required to recover from non-domestic water consumers all costs incurred in the provision of water services to those consumers. The application of the polluter pays principle, as required by the EU Water Framework Directive, entails the metering of non-domestic consumers so that a volumetric charge can be applied, with the cost of meter installation being borne by the metered consumers. The cost recovery relates to water and waste water services supplied by local authorities to all non-domestic users.

In response to concerns expressed by farming representatives in relation to the cost of metering, and following a pilot billing project in one local authority area, my Department issued billing guidance to local authorities in December 2006, which included a request that authorities consider the necessity for special discounting arrangements in the case of multiple water meters on fragmented small farm holdings. The guidance recommends that the total metering charge in such instances should not exceed 180% of the cost of the first connection irrespective of the number of meters. This represents a very significant concession to farm holders with fragmented holdings.