Water in d15 or just par for the course?

amdublin

Ive to scrub my shower door every 3 weeks or so - serious water stains and residue.

Is this par for the course and just a general domestic requirement? Or is this something to do with the water in d15?

ThisRegard

Buy a bottle of shower cleaner, the Tesco one is only about a Euro, and spray it on after showering. Works really well.

Gaspode

Some parts of D15 seem to have pretty poor water alright.

amdublin

Is it hard or soft I wonder?

vibe666

D15 water is as hard as nails.

i had a thread a couple of years ago about it. we used to live around portersgate and it was terrible, we all got really bad cracked dry skin as a result.

we got the environmental health out to test it and they said it was no worse than everywhere else local, but as far as quality went, all they would say was that it "met EU regulations for tap water" which considering greece, portugal and the ukraine are in the EU, that didn't give me a huge amount of confidence.

we ended up getting a reverse osmosis water filter plumbed (about €300 inc. fitting, but you could do it yourself) in at the kitchen sink for drinking and hand washing and it really helped a lot.

we were on our 2nd kettle in about 8 months at the time and that was already half knackered, but after filling it with RO water for a couple of weeks, it was totally clean (even though it was previously manky!) and looked like it was brand new inside, so it definitely made a huge difference.

it does depend on where you live in D15 though. a lot of the older estates get their water supply from dublin, but the newer ones towards the clonee end of D15 get their water from meath, although it's definitely not the same water i used to get in navan when i lived there, it was much better.

MammaZita

amdublin wrote: »

Is it hard or soft I wonder?

Hard! Spent a week outside Dublin at Easter. The water was so much softer than we were used to. Was lovely to drink and we also needed very little washing up liquid, fabric softener etc.

amdublin

MammaZita wrote: »

Hard! Spent a week outside Dublin at Easter. The water was so much softer than we were used to. Was lovely to drink and we also needed very little washing up liquid, fabric softener etc.

I thought hard was nicer for drinking
But yes, soft is better for washing

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-soft-and-hard-water.htm

amdublin

I remember your thread vibe666. I've no skin probs or anything. Just got a new bathroom recently which I'm really working on to keep looking new and I notice the water stains/residue on the shower door.

MammaZita

amdublin wrote: »

I thought hard was nicer for drinking
But yes, soft is better for washing

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-soft-and-hard-water.htm

I actually don't mind the taste of the water here and all my family including young children drink the tap water. The water in Donegal tasted crisper and clearer though.

Morag

It's very hard, keeping the limescale of shower doors and toilet bowl is an on going battle.

I have a couple of threads on this, I moved to Dublin 15 four years ago and am shocked by the water. I am on my second boiler as my first boiler died after 2 years. Toilets have to be scrubbed as the lime thickens over a couple of weeks. Clothes are just destroyed, they seem to turn to sand paper and rip easily. I have to buy extra water softener , clothes softener. My skin is feeling the effects of it also drying out very very quickly .

really if you are getting hard water, you should not be paying the same as people with soft water.

beauf

I could be wrong. But I think different parts of D.15 get different feeds. One from Dublin the other from Meath. The latter is really hard.

CrazyRabbit

My water is so hard it beats me up whenever I turn on the tap.

FYI. add water + a little vinegar to the kettle and bring to the boil. It will completely remove the limescale. Of course, you have to wash it out afterwards, but it's easy.

amdublin

It really is. Stained already after sparkling clean on Sunday.

Morag wrote: »

It's very hard, keeping the limescale of shower doors and toilet bowl is an on going battle.

I'm going to have to get a bottle of this.

ThisRegard wrote: »

Buy a bottle of shower cleaner, the Tesco one is only about a Euro, and spray it on after showering. Works really well.

root69

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

My water is so hard it beats me up whenever I turn on the tap.

FYI. add water + a little vinegar to the kettle and bring to the boil. It will completely remove the limescale. Of course, you have to wash it out afterwards, but it's easy.

i use vinegar as well. works good. but still it wiĺl be back after a week or so.

Zaph

Get yourself a one of these in Homestore & More



It's a kettle descaler, which only costs about €2 and definitely reduces the amount of limescale in the kettle.

root69

Once water charges are in place does that mean that every one in Dublin that now pays for water should be served with the same water quality?
or some areas will be cheaper than others due to that?

oblivious

root69 wrote: »

Once water charges are in place does that mean that every one in Dublin that now pays for water should be served with the same water quality?
or some areas will be cheaper than others due to that?

Its and interesting point. At the least we should be provided with a regular water quality report, i.e. hardness etc. As these will change seasonally and also due to weather conditions

root69

oblivious wrote: »

Its and interesting point. At the least we should be provided with a regular water quality report, i.e. hardness etc. As these will change seasonally and also due to weather conditions

Correct.
An based on these reports possibly measures to improve our water quality.

earlier in the post someone mentioned a filter at the entry point. This way tap water is filtered.
This should be considered under home improvement grant or benefits..

All if we to pay water and if charges are the same to all locations. My arguments are based on equal rights. If the pay is the same, one assumes the quality of service and products should be as well.

Little A

In relation to the shower glass - keep a squeegee in the shower & just give it a quick once over after a shower. It only takes seconds & you'll never have to scrub again!

Gaspode

Call me cynical, (because let's face it, I am!) but I cant see water charges making any difference to water quality for 5-10 years at best. I have seen nothing that gives me any confidence in the new water authority.

root69

root69 wrote: »

Once water charges are in place does that mean that every one in Dublin that now pays for water should be served with the same water quality?
or some areas will be cheaper than others due to that?

I brought up a thread on this for Dublin 15 but it was closed down. D15 has some of the worst water in Ireland. They are not going to change anything either.

People who have hard water pay alot more for softeners boiler maintenance clothes etc.... There should be something done.

root69

Deleted User wrote: »

I brought up a thread on this for Dublin 15 but it was closed down. D15 has some of the worst water in Ireland. They are not going to change anything either.

People who have hard water pay alot more for softeners boiler maintenance clothes etc.... There should be something done.

Well, to do something I suppose this must be all proved.
I would assume firstly there is the need to prove that water quality is "worst" and what effect can this have.
Both financial and health wise.
After having a water quality report (if this is possible). Get some experts to see if this affects health and maintenance costs.
Once this is proved and reported. maybe suggest some alternatives or solutions to the problem.
Presented to the right authorities.

I know this is easier said than done...

Zaph

The problem is what determines water quality? I'm sure the water from my tap is perfectly safe to drink by any standards, but I'm not going to any time soon because it tastes vile and smells of chlorine. However I'm sure taste and smell aren't standards used to measure water quality.

Gaspode

Standards are all safety based i.e. noxious chemicals and dangerous bacteria must be below specified limits. The only quality based parameter as far as I'm aware is clarity - nothing on smell or taste.

amdublin

I've never noticed weird taste or smell - or at least never bothered me.

Just the bloody shower door!

Going to buy both the cleaner spray and squeegee as suggested above. One good clean and then use spray and squeegee going forward and see how I get on.

murphaph

Water charges will not have any effect whatsoever on the hardness of the water. They can only supply what they have-removing the magnesium and calcium will not be introduced because of water charges and you will continue to get the water you get now. If you're lucky you get soft water. Here in Berlin the water is extremely hard (harder than D15-I lived there and know). Here in our postcode it's 14,6 - 20,9dH and in Lucan (same feed as D15...comes from Leixlip) it's 8.4 - 16.8dH...so believe me it could be (much) worse there ;-)

root69

murphaph wrote: »

Water charges will not have any effect whatsoever on the hardness of the water. They can only supply what they have-removing the magnesium and calcium will not be introduced because of water charges and you will continue to get the water you get now. If you're lucky you get soft water. Here in Berlin the water is extremely hard (harder than D15-I lived there and know). Here in our postcode it's 14,6 - 20,9dH and in Lucan (same feed as D15...comes from Leixlip) it's 8.4 - 16.8dH...so believe me it could be (much) worse there ;-)

I agree that water charges will not change the quality of water.
Nevertheless i am of the opinion that the quality of the water should be reflected on the water charges.

Zaph

I agree. If the water quality is so poor that I have to buy bottled water because what comes out of the tap is undrinkable, then why can't I offset the cost of what I spend on bottled water against my water charges?

root69

Water charges in Ireland, seem to be a fairly new topic. Somehow an unknown path to walk on.

Here is some reading on the topic:
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/environment/water_services/water_charges.html

There are links to interesting articles such as the public consultation:
http://www.environ.ie/en/Environment/Water/WaterSectorReform/

Also see the Water quality topic has been taken into consideration:
Question I:
What if my supply or quality is poor?

Answer I:
The Minister intends to direct the economic regulator (CER) to ensure that Irish Water takes account of the quality of services when applying water charges.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is the environmental regulator of Irish Water, will enforce its adherence to relevant environmental legislation.
You should report any problems with water supply or water quality to Irish Water on: 1890 278 278.

That said, I bet that are alot of scenarios and arguments that have not been considered. Surely not on initial phase of such a big project. So I see this as an opportunity to present what, in the eyes of some, is a more fair approach to water charges. BTW this must be a collective work not a one man job :P

Anyone with more in depth on this topic or different views?

Zaph

A charge based on typical consumption for your residence type will only be applied to apartments or houses with no meters fitted. However everyone else will pay based on their metered consumption.

root69

Zaph wrote: »

A charge based on typical consumption for your residence type will only be applied to apartments or houses with no meters fitted. However everyone else will pay based on their metered consumption.

You are correct. I have edited my post and took out my incorrect assumptions.
added couple of interesting links and a quote of the quality/price topic.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=90543139&postcount=30

ThisRegard

Zaph wrote: »

I agree. If the water quality is so poor that I have to buy bottled water because what comes out of the tap is undrinkable, then why can't I offset the cost of what I spend on bottled water against my water charges?

In D15 you can't drink water from your tap?

Zaph

ThisRegard wrote: »

In D15 you can't drink water from your tap?

I'm sure it's perfectly safe to drink, but I choose not to because it's pretty unpalatable. It's certainly nothing like as nice to drink as the water in other parts of Dublin.

DvB

Zaph wrote: »

I'm sure it's perfectly safe to drink, but I choose not to because it's pretty unpalatable. It's certainly nothing like as nice to drink as the water in other parts of Dublin.

I have to agree, we buy bottled water (albeit the cheap stuff) for that very reason, funnily enough though its grand in tea or coffee, I actually prefer it to the water here in the city centre where I work.

ThisRegard

I find it fine to drink, although we have a britta filter anyway which we use. I've lived in areas where the water came from the mountains and it was great, but I've also lived in areas where it's mank. I don't think our water is bad though.

Toto Wolfcastle

It tastes horrible. I remember the first time I cooked pasta in it. The pasta took on the flavour of the water. I was living in a different county at the time and visiting D15 for the weekend and I couldn't believe the difference. Bottled water isn't too expensive, but it's not an expense people should have if they're paying for their tap water too.

amdublin

I drink and cook with the water all the time. No problems for me.

Just that bloody shower door

DvB

amdublin wrote: »

I drink and cook with the water all the time. No problems for me.

Just that bloody shower door

WD40... trust me!!:D