water meters this is the start of it

jakdelad

once they get their toe in the door with water charges
thats it,

there will be a STANDING CHARGE
a charge for WATER USED
a charge for WATER DISCHARGED
A charge for WATER BILL MANAGEMENT FEE and VAT

this will hurt the poor and large families
it will affect the general hygiene of people trying to reduce their water bill

get your well bored now.....
wait till you see the new quango of fat cats on the water board

usernamegoes

jakdelad wrote: »

once they get their toe in the door with water charges
thats it,

there will be a STANDING CHARGE
a charge for WATER USED
a charge for WATER DISCHARGED
A charge for WATER BILL MANAGEMENT FEE

this will hurt the poor and large families
it will affect the general hygiene of people trying to reduce their water bill

get your well bored now

What's wrong with that? Is it not similar to other utilities?

Perhaps people will use wells, rain water, etc to avoid paying as much, that's a good thing!

Crasp

I've often wondered about this, I hope someone can clear it up for me (plus I know there already is a water charge..)

But isn't "the right to clean drinking water" a basic human right?? So how is it that it has to be paid for?! I mean what is the reason that human rights now have to be paid for in order to be exercised? Will we have to pay for clean air next, or how is that different?

More to the point, can they actually cut off your water at the meter if you're not paying your bills? Denying access to a human right??


Or is it simply the right to access the water that is given, and that by allowing you access to water, for a small fee, the authorities get away with it, because they are not denying you this access to water, only the water itself.

usernamegoes

Well, housing, food, etc might be considered a basic human right should they be provided 'free' to all too?

InigoMontoya

Crasp wrote: »

I've often wondered about this, I hope someone can clear it up for me (plus I know there already is a water charge..)

But isn't "the right to clean drinking water" a basic human right?? So how is it that it has to be paid for?! I mean what is the reason that human rights now have to be paid for in order to be exercised? Will we have to pay for clean air next, or how is that different?

More to the point, can they actually cut off your water at the meter if you're not paying your bills? Denying access to a human right??

Or is it simply the right to access the water that is given, and that by allowing you access to water, for a small fee, the authorities get away with it, because they are not denying you this access to water, only the water itself.

You realise of course, that many people have been paying for their water all along? Either through group water schemes or by operating their own wells (which the OP seems to consider a desperately radical option).

bijapos

InigoMontoya wrote: »

You realise of course, that many people have been paying for their water all along?

Everybody is paying for water. Its funded by revenue raised by the government in various taxes. I know its in the region of several hundred million a year, someone here will know the exact figure. The problem is that most people dont or dont want to realise this. For most people water comes out of the tap. electricity come out of the wall and when you flush the toilet it goes away. The reality is that they involve massive infrastructural projects and the whole thing costs money. The other problem is that some people waste vast amounts of water whereas others go around using it carefully. Metering will clamp down a lot on unnecessary waste.

Having said this what the government should do when they introduce this new legislation is that they should ensure that if the water is not up to drinking quality there should be a rebate from the council or water board.

msg11

bijapos wrote: »

Everybody is paying for water. Its funded by revenue raised by the government in various taxes. I know its in the region of several hundred million a year, someone here will know the exact figure. The problem is that most people dont or dont want to realise this. For most people water comes out of the tap. electricity come out of the wall and when you flush the toilet it goes away. The reality is that they involve massive infrastructural projects and the whole thing costs money. The other problem is that some people waste vast amounts of water whereas others go around using it carefully. Metering will clamp down a lot on unnecessary waste.

Having said this what the government should do when they introduce this new legislation is that they should ensure that if the water is not up to drinking quality there should be a rebate from the council or water board.

Can I ask one question. Where are people going to get the money to pay this bill. They meter the water, people need water. Something else will give in the household. People don't have the money for this crap anymore. When will they realise this?

There providing no solutions too any of the massive problems. Instead there pissing about wasting more money on meters and shifting money around from other household bills.

People are getting let go from work or there hours reduced if your still lucky to have a job we are getting taxed more. Then we have oil/food prices rocketing up. Then we have other bills ESB, Bin charges, Tv license, Dog license, Tax on car, Insurance, UPC, Internet. So because they decided to meter water one of the above will go. People may stop using the car. So no insurance money or tax for the goverment, garages not getting business.

More job loses and money shifting around like no tomorrow.

Will they come up with some proper solutions. Taxing everything is not going to sort out this mess.

We need to become something, The European leader in Wind power/Wave power. The IT market, something. There's some bloody good talent in Ireland and the goverment is not harnessing that energy instead losing out to other markets or letting them waste there lift on the welfare.

I also don't buy into this people cutting down on water. Sure in-fairness the whole network needs a massive upgrade in terms of piping, IIRC a good bit of the network is leaking and that under the local councils to sort it out. But they don't give a rats arse once they see the €€€.

serfboard

msg11 wrote: »

Can I ask one question. Where are people going to get the money to pay this bill. They meter the water, people need water. Something else will give in the household. People don't have the money for this crap anymore. When will they realise this?

There providing no solutions too any of the massive problems. Instead there pissing about wasting more money on meters and shifting money around from other household bills.

People are getting let go from work or there hours reduced if your still lucky to have a job we are getting taxed more. Then we have oil/food prices rocketing up. Then we have other bills ESB, Bin charges, Tv license, Dog license, Tax on car, Insurance, UPC, Internet. So because they decided to meter water one of the above will go. People may stop using the car. So no insurance money or tax for the goverment, garages not getting business.

More job loses and money shifting around like no tomorrow.

Will they come up with some proper solutions. Taxing everything is not going to sort out this mess.

We need to become something, The European leader in Wind power/Wave power. The IT market, something. There's some bloody good talent in Ireland and the goverment is not harnessing that energy instead losing out to other markets or letting them waste there lift on the welfare.

I also don't buy into this people cutting down on water. Sure in-fairness the whole network needs a massive upgrade in terms of piping, IIRC a good bit of the network is leaking and that under the local councils to sort it out. But they don't give a rats arse once they see the €€€.

It's obviously just dawned on you what austerity is all about.

Cookie_Monster

This absolutely needs to come in along similar lines as electricity and gas as a service rather than a tax though. At least that way the revenue can be ring fenced for water investment by the (notional) "Water Company", whereas if it is simply a levy or tax it disappears into the black hole of the budget and we get no long term benefit from it.

wiseguy

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

This absolutely needs to come in along similar lines as electricity and gas as a service rather than a tax though. At least that way the revenue can be ring fenced for water investment by the (notional) "Water Company", whereas if it is simply a levy or tax it disappears into the black hole of the budget and we get no long term benefit from it.

Just like NPRF was "ring-fenced" ?
Or the carbon tax,credit nonsense?
Or various motoring taxes go to build and maintain roads?

This is Ireland, this will be just another way to extract money from people, wake up.

careca11

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

This absolutely needs to come in along similar lines as electricity and gas as a service rather than a tax though. At least that way the revenue can be ring fenced for water investment by the (notional) "Water Company", whereas if it is simply a levy or tax it disappears into the black hole of the budget and we get no long term benefit from it.

here , here

we know that most if not all county councils are broke( or so we are told ) , they won't cut the wages of the highest paid saps,
so as a way of raising revenue for them is water charges ....simple (and over time the price of them will only go one way)

bk

The question I have will the cost of metering, billing and administrating water charges (I see a whole new company being setup here with cushy big money jobs for the boys, like ESB, Bord Gais, etc.) outstrip any extra revenue it might bring in versus direct taxation?

It is estimated that it will cost more the €700 million to fit water meters to every home in Ireland, which is actually more then it would cost to fix all the leaking water pipes in Ireland, where we currently lose 60% of the water.

Add on top of that, the cost of billing, call center staff (to deal with billing enquires), sales staff (once it is privatised and competition introduced), electricity charges (for the meters), mobile data charges (the meters will communicate usage back to the company via mobile data), advertising campaigns, managers, executive pay, etc.

Do people really think this will all work out cheaper then just sticking with direct taxation?

What exactly is the problem we are trying to solve here?

If this goes toward costs for maintaining pipes and reducing water leakage and whathaveyou, then it's fine with me. I'd say we waste too much water anyway

keithclancy

bk wrote: »

The question I have will the cost of metering, billing and administrating water charges (I see a whole new company being setup here with cushy big money jobs for the boys, like ESB, Bord Gais, etc.) outstrip any extra revenue it might bring in versus direct taxation?

It is estimated that it will cost more the €700 million to fit water meters to every home in Ireland, which is actually more then it would cost to fix all the leaking water pipes in Ireland, where we currently lose 60% of the water.

Add on top of that, the cost of billing, call center staff (to deal with billing enquires), sales staff (once it is privatised and competition introduced), electricity charges (for the meters), mobile data charges (the meters will communicate usage back to the company via mobile data), advertising campaigns, managers, executive pay, etc.

Do people really think this will all work out cheaper then just sticking with direct taxation?

What exactly is the problem we are trying to solve here?

People filling baths and sinks when they are being told that there are possible water shortages (such as what happened in Cork with the floods)

Better to pay as you go, people will actually be aware of the water they are using. And you'll have the option to pay less if you use less.

sensibleken

Jesus christ. I'm struggling to make ends meet as it is

Frank Black

The principle of paying for water will become a reality for the people of Ireland and in some ways that will be a good thing in that it will encourage more responsible use of water by consumers. I don’t think most people in Ireland have any conception of the measures in place to ensure that when you turn on your tap, clean drinking water comes out.
Having said that, and as mentioned by a previous poster – I would have concerns that the administration costs associated with implementing water meter charging will end up swallowing a large chunk of the revenue generated. If there’s one thing we’re good at in this country it’s setting up overstaffed, overpaid departments full of pen pushers.

djdrobins

wow, there are so many great points here - i first came in with the impression of no way - its a human right, but then there are a lot of people who waste the water - which needs to be treated etc before it's drinkable. Then there are the waste water treatment services.
I feel that it should not become a tax - why should I who has my own well, and pay for my own treatment of my water pay for those who live in cities.
But at the same time - another bill would be crazy to introduce.

I think this is down to the government trying to bring in money. Still the same crap - no ideas of how to make jobs - which in turn gives people money, which in turn increases spending, which in turn brings in taxes. And then the government would have the money to fix the pipes which is the main problem.

We all pay taxes, water is supposed to be a basic inclusion in the spending of those taxes.

Colm R

I'm completely for water charges.

We do have plenty of water in this country to go around. But right now, we all pay for the water delivery. I'm paying for my neighbour who washes his car with a hose about twice a week.

But there are couple of important things that need to be considered.

- It should not be possible to disconnect a dwelling. Failure to pay should be dealt with by a statutory body of some sort - ideally not the courts.

- Unemployed people should be exempt.

- If there is going to be a free allowance, it should be based on the number of people living in a house.

Also, a transparent method of water monitoring and testing should be implemented. So say you get a bill in the post. You could have an online account where you can get more information, such as the reservoir your water has come from, the last time it was tested and the analysis of that test.

Smart Metering will probably begin to take off pretty soon. This is where you can watch and monitor your utility meters live. Water meters need to be included in this.


Drilling your own well is always an option. But honestly, the cost of drilling, and pumping your own water is probably higher than anything you would be billed for.

Origipolo

What about the massive contributions people already made to local authorities who built private houses connecting to public mains or bought new houses that were connected to public mains....??? These monies went towards use of water/sewer.. I'd say on average 8k euro per house went to County Councils......!!!

Go into any County Council website and do a planning search on any house or residential development that connected to public services and look at the individual conditions.. The sums are all there for public viewing...

They're broke..... They are in my Sh!te.....

jakdelad

they will trot out this ould bullsh1t
how we are the only country in the eec who dont charge for water
so what, its not a competition, to see can we keep up with ouur neighbours as regards charging and screwing the public
wait till this water company gets going they will be like the waffen ss,
cut you faster than a stanley knife...

and wait for the leaflet with all the palava and bullscutter
about how many millions they are going to spend upgrading and improving the water system and improving the water quality
in other words you were only drinking piss before now
thats why your water bill is the hundreds of euros
and we will bend over and take it why???
because ireland dont do protests like the french

next up the housing rates

bk

Colm R, that sounds lovely, I'm sure the civil servants and politicians will be rubbing their hands in anticipation at all the lovely new jobs they can create for the "boys" to administrate all you describe.

The problem with indirect taxation is all the administrative burden it creates.

Do you really think you direct taxes will go down, because you now pay for water charges directly. Not a chance, you will still pay the same tax, but now you will have an additional burden of water bills and you will thus end up paying for all the costs of running this new water company (staff, etc.).

InigoMontoya

bijapos wrote: »

Everybody is paying for water. Its funded by revenue raised by the government in various taxes. I know its in the region of several hundred million a year, someone here will know the exact figure. The problem is that most people dont or dont want to realise this. For most people water comes out of the tap. electricity come out of the wall and when you flush the toilet it goes away. The reality is that they involve massive infrastructural projects and the whole thing costs money. The other problem is that some people waste vast amounts of water whereas others go around using it carefully. Metering will clamp down a lot on unnecessary waste.

Having said this what the government should do when they introduce this new legislation is that they should ensure that if the water is not up to drinking quality there should be a rebate from the council or water board.

My point was that many people have been paying directly for their own water provision all along. They were, of course, not exempt from the portion of taxes that pays for water services, so they were effectively paying twice. Making everyone pay directly seems fairer.

InigoMontoya

Origipolo wrote: »

What about the massive contributions people already made to local authorities who built private houses connecting to public mains or bought new houses that were connected to public mains....??? These monies went towards use of water/sewer.. I'd say on average 8k euro per house went to County Councils......!!!

Go into any County Council website and do a planning search on any house or residential development that connected to public services and look at the individual conditions.. The sums are all there for public viewing...

They're broke..... They are in my Sh!te.....

Have a septic tank put in, and empty it when required; also sink a well, buy a pump, operate and maintain it, and see how many years €8k lasts you.

BrianD

Crasp wrote: »

But isn't "the right to clean drinking water" a basic human right?? So how is it that it has to be paid for?! I mean what is the reason that human rights now have to be paid for in order to be exercised? Will we have to pay for clean air next, or how is that different?

And water charges don't negate this. You have access to it but pay for what you use.

There's a strong arguement to levy those using private wells - it would be a lower charge of course - as the water is coming from the water table. There should be a whopper of a charge for those using sceptic tanks.

Origipolo

The other problem is that some people waste vast amounts of water whereas others go around using it carefully.

The biggest wasters of water are the Councils themselves, look at the state of the outdated pipe network in this Country. Millions of euro are being wasted...The problem is more severe from the resevoirs to the point of connection to a house.... not from house to point of connection, people usage included..!

Update the pipe network, stop Council wastage, dont try pass the majority of the problem to the independant user... Anyway, the point remains.... Its just another form of tax no matter what way the charge is looked at..

pog it

Does anyone have any links to projected revenue figures attached to this? As in something like their 3,5,10 year expectations levels?
Thanks!

JustinDee

It works in part of the NSW coast in Australia I lived in. Also puts the stunts on water wastage.
Makes sense to charge with a meter as opposed to a flat water rate.

Overheal

bk wrote: »

The question I have will the cost of metering, billing and administrating water charges (I see a whole new company being setup here with cushy big money jobs for the boys, like ESB, Bord Gais, etc.) outstrip any extra revenue it might bring in versus direct taxation?

It is estimated that it will cost more the €700 million to fit water meters to every home in Ireland, which is actually more then it would cost to fix all the leaking water pipes in Ireland, where we currently lose 60% of the water.

Add on top of that, the cost of billing, call center staff (to deal with billing enquires), sales staff (once it is privatised and competition introduced), electricity charges (for the meters), mobile data charges (the meters will communicate usage back to the company via mobile data), advertising campaigns, managers, executive pay, etc.

Do people really think this will all work out cheaper then just sticking with direct taxation?

What exactly is the problem we are trying to solve here?

It would cost the same to fix the infrastructure...

but then what? Let it fall to ruin all over again?

You have to remember that's the problem. The metering was repealed years ago and the maintenance of the system has gone to the dogs. You have to think about the long term solution here, which is to introduce metering and fix the infrastructure. Not just Fix and Forget.

bryaner

Colm R wrote: »

I'm completely for water charges.

We do have plenty of water in this country to go around. But right now, we all pay for the water delivery. I'm paying for my neighbour who washes his car with a hose about twice a week.

But there are couple of important things that need to be considered.

- It should not be possible to disconnect a dwelling. Failure to pay should be dealt with by a statutory body of some sort - ideally not the courts.

- Unemployed people should be exempt.

- If there is going to be a free allowance, it should be based on the number of people living in a house.

Also, a transparent method of water monitoring and testing should be implemented. So say you get a bill in the post. You could have an online account where you can get more information, such as the reservoir your water has come from, the last time it was tested and the analysis of that test.

Smart Metering will probably begin to take off pretty soon. This is where you can watch and monitor your utility meters live. Water meters need to be included in this.


Drilling your own well is always an option. But honestly, the cost of drilling, and pumping your own water is probably higher than anything you would be billed for.

Well thats the selfish bastard washing his car..

wolf moon

Colm R wrote: »

I'm paying for my neighbour who washes his car with a hose about twice a week.

and you're gonna keep paying colm, because NONE of the taxes you pay at present will be lowered or lifted.

instead, you are forced to pay standing charge, no matter whether you use water or not (who gives a damn actually), as well as additional money for every single drop (on the top of what you've been paying "for your neighbour") - and enlighten me now, how exactly is this suppose to be better for you or me, because i simply don't fukin get it?

bk

Overheal wrote: »

It would cost the same to fix the infrastructure...

but then what? Let it fall to ruin all over again?

You have to remember that's the problem. The metering was repealed years ago and the maintenance of the system has gone to the dogs. You have to think about the long term solution here, which is to introduce metering and fix the infrastructure. Not just Fix and Forget.

But fixing the pipes properly, means they should be good for at least the next 50 years. High quality plastic pipes have a very long life span.

What exactly is the problem we are trying to solve here, no one has yet articulated the problem.

If the problem is that we don't have enough water for our current population. Then just fixing the pipes, our piping water from the Shannon solves that.

I really fail to see what the environmental issue with this is. Fair enough if you live in Australia, etc. but we live in Ireland, it really isn't that difficult to get your hands on fresh water and treating that water isn't particularly expensive.

No I see this as nothing but an attempt by county councils to milk more money from people. This money won't be wring fenced, it will go to pay inflated civil servant wages.

jakdelad

the term parish pump politics will now have a different meaning

we can work this people
collect the rain water in plastic barrells it can be pumped into a couple of holding tanks in the attic
you can flush toilets, use your washing machine
get a carbon filter and use the water in your shower and dish washer
all you need is a what you fill the kettle with,
but where they will screw us is with standing charge for the meter
bill management levy oh and vat

wait and see the fat cats on this new water company

Gael23

I just hope there will be some sort of concession for older people or those on social welfare etc

yuloni

This post has been deleted.

rat catcher

Its time for the people to say NO and put their foot down, stop talking about it and do something. I dont mean anything illegal. Take to the streets and show the goverment we wont be walked over. I can pay my bills as it is this will just sink the boat!!

Ald

Did anybody hear Phil Hogan on Today FM today? What a slimmy patronising kn*b! Out of all the politicans I would love to kick him in the water works the most! FG tos*er!

jakdelad

Condi wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

they are gonna screw people with septic tanks
your gonna have to have it emptied by someone approved
and this will be yearly and you will fined or some other bullsh1te
if you dont comply
its just another way of gouging money out of folk
wait till they come after your savings

The Waltzing Consumer

ryanf1 wrote: »

I just hope there will be some sort of concession for older people or those on social welfare etc

Of course there will be, there nearly always is, be it bin tag or other taxes. There will be a standard allowance based on amount of people in house and when people go over that allowance, they will charge then by the meter.

As with many of the other charges though, lower income families, unemployed and elderly will nearly all be exempt from these charges of will have them nearly non-existent. As with most of these types of taxes and charges, the people it will really hit and who will pay the full whack and feel it, will be the middle classes. Nothing new. No moaning, just pay their way and get on with it.

The Waltzing Consumer

jakdelad wrote: »

they are gonna screw people with septic tanks
your gonna have to have it emptied by someone approved
and this will be yearly and you will fined or some other bullsh1te
if you dont comply
its just another way of gouging money out of folk
wait till they come after your savings

Your posts are quite paranoid

Do you have a "the end is nigh" poster yet?

KindOfIrish

water meters this is the start of it
Yes, it's just the start. Household charge is under way.:eek:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0531/household_charge.html

loldog

This is standard IMF practice: http://www.ratical.org/co-globalize/waterIMF.html

.

The Waltzing Consumer

KindOfIrish wrote: »

water meters this is the start of it
Yes, it's just the start. Household charge is under way.:eek:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0531/household_charge.html

But as he said right there, unemployed, lower paid families, elderly and people in mortgage difficulties will not pay or pay extremely little. So this hits the middle classes the most as usual.

jakdelad

The Waltzing Consumer wrote: »

Your posts are quite paranoid

Do you have a "the end is nigh" poster yet?

sorry my posts disapoint you
only since i was a child many years ago i heard the same bullsh1t day in dayout from every breed of politician nothings changed
i remember recessions in the 70s then we had one in the 80s
now were back only this time its worse
you can listen to all the bull n spin
but believe me its not going to get better for a long long time
you can delude yourself all you like
we as a nation have no control over our finances
we are being spoonfed by the imf
it will take us years to pull out of this one
while the noose tightens around the peoples necks
hear the news today??? water charges on the way propertytax on the way, can you not see a pattern here?
the people dont have the money, the esb are cutting off over a hundred homes a month same with gas
people cannot afford to fill their tanks with heating oil they are now buying it in five gallon drums
health service in tatters
the pubs resturants all empty
all our youth gone to australia canada
the govt are now going to raid the private pensions
eddie hobbs has stated this is only a matter of time till they come for our savings,
and the big sunami gathering momentum is the thousands of people in mortgage default
forgive me for being paranoid
i dont realistically see any hope for my children
i am rearing them for the boat
its over all over
the politicians will bullsh1te on and on
buts its gone...

goose2005

jakdelad wrote: »

they are gonna screw people with septic tanks
your gonna have to have it emptied by someone approved
and this will be yearly and you will fined or some other bullsh1te
if you dont comply
its just another way of gouging money out of folk
wait till they come after your savings

Yeah, you should be able to pay fifty euro cash in hand to an unqualified shyster. Shure who cares about poisoning the groundwater so long as you save a few bob.

hear the news today??? water charges on the way property tax on the way, can you not see a pattern here?

The pattern is that Ireland is being brought in line with the rest of the world.

pog it

Seriously, does anyone have any figures on how much they want to gain in profit on this? Anyone??

pog it

KindOfIrish wrote: »

water meters this is the start of it
Yes, it's just the start. Household charge is under way.:eek:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0531/household_charge.html

:eek:

Holy ****

:mad:

OctavarIan

If this forces people to be smarter about their water usage I'm all for it.

However, I doubt the government will actually make any real attempt to educate people about smart water usage while they roll out the meters. Their own infrastructure and most house designs waste so much greywater it's sickening.

tippboi

is this tax also for households in the contryside who have there own well or just towns/cities etc who use water from a main line?

Overheal

bk wrote: »

But fixing the pipes properly, means they should be good for at least the next 50 years. High quality plastic pipes have a very long life span.

And how many miles of pipe need to be lain? How long would such an operation take, to pipe the entire country? By the time you finished, it would probably be time to upgrade the first pipe you laid. If 50 years is even an accurate number. But all the same, it just boils down to what kind of crew you need to keep active - dozens, or hundreds - to keep laying down new pipe at a rate that keeps up with the rate at which old pipes become obsolete. A full time task, the only question is how many does it take. You can get anything done fast with enough money and material and manpower but it's not always the most efficient way. Again you need to consider sustainable long term maintenance operation and growth.

What exactly is the problem we are trying to solve here, no one has yet articulated the problem.

If the problem is that we don't have enough water for our current population. Then just fixing the pipes, our piping water from the Shannon solves that.

I really fail to see what the environmental issue with this is. Fair enough if you live in Australia, etc. but we live in Ireland, it really isn't that difficult to get your hands on fresh water and treating that water isn't particularly expensive.

No I see this as nothing but an attempt by county councils to milk more money from people. This money won't be wring fenced, it will go to pay inflated civil servant wages.

The problem is clean water shortages which have plagued the midwest. Fixing the piping solves that, now. It doesn't solve it later. It doesnt keep the problem from reappearing down the line, or when the system has further capacity issues. Right now the infrastructure spends money treating and delivering more water than what reaches taps, which is unsustainable.

I've now articulated the problem to you twice. I don't know how it can be explained any simpler.

is this tax also for households in the contryside who have there own well or just towns/cities etc who use water from a main line?

if they take the model of other countries Wells aren't metered. Wells aren't treated though, either.

pog it wrote: »

Seriously, does anyone have any figures on how much they want to gain in profit on this? Anyone??

Nothing? It's a water utility. They're non-profit.

90% of urban water supply and sanitation services are currently in the public sector [Worldwide]. They are owned by the state or local authorities, or also by collectives or cooperatives. They run without an aim for profit but are based on the ethos of providing a common good considered to be of public interest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_supply#Costs_and_Financing

InigoMontoya

jakdelad wrote: »

we can work this people
collect the rain water in plastic barrells it can be pumped into a couple of holding tanks in the attic
you can flush toilets, use your washing machine
get a carbon filter and use the water in your shower and dish washer
all you need is a what you fill the kettle with,

If people want to do that, great. But again, installing and operating that kind of system won't come free.

tippboi wrote: »

is this tax also for households in the contryside who have there own well or just towns/cities etc who use water from a main line?

It would only apply to water from a public supply.

mdebets

Crasp wrote: »

I've often wondered about this, I hope someone can clear it up for me (plus I know there already is a water charge..)

But isn't "the right to clean drinking water" a basic human right?? So how is it that it has to be paid for?! I mean what is the reason that human rights now have to be paid for in order to be exercised? Will we have to pay for clean air next, or how is that different?

There is a big difference between water and air.
The state is not doing anything active to clean the air (other than some legislation, preventing certain gases to be released in the air).
With water however it is different. The state (CC) has to actively get the water out of the ground, clean it and make sure that it is drinkable, get it to the customers, take away the used waste water, clean the waste water.
This all costs money and someone has to pay for it (be it through a tax or charges). So charges by usage is way fairer in the long run than a flat tax as it is at the moment.
At the moment, there is no incentive to reduce your consumption, as it doesn't matter how much water you use, you always pay the same price.
If you use 10l water a day because you conserve water and your neighbour uses 200l a day, because he lets the tap run all day, both of you have to pay for 105l of water. If you would have a per use payment, you would only have to pay for 10l, reducing your water bill to a 10th of what it was before, and your neighbour has to pay his full 200l. Isn't that fairer?