NI Water is to stop any further installation of water meters at domestic properties in Northern Ireland, Chris Hazzard, infrastructure minister in the Northern Ireland Assemble (NIA), has announced.
Hazzard said: "Today I have instructed NI Water not to install any more water meters at domestic properties in the North.
"In the current financial climate, the continued waste of public money to install meters which will not be used cannot continue.
"Regulations are currently being drafted and consultation on these is legally required. ?Meanwhile I have instructed NI Water to cease this work immediately."
The Ulster Farmers’ Union says it is disappointed by the decision to cease any further installation of water meters in domestic properties.
Back in March 2015 NI Water increased its non-domestic water and sewage charges by an average of 2.4%, resulting in farmers and other metered businesses continuing to carry the burden of water charges for the whole of Northern Ireland.
'Discriminatory for farmers'
"At the time NI Water had said that the tariff increases were necessary due to ‘unavoidable external factors impacting on operating costs’ and that ‘the cost of necessary improvements to the water and sewage infrastructure’.
"However, we feel it is discriminatory for metered business customers, and in particular farmers, to be expected to continue to cover these costs for the whole of the NI population," said UFU deputy president Ivor Ferguson.
"We have been of the opinion for years that everyone should pay for the water they use and that universal metering should be introduced by NI Water but we also recognise that this would bring added costs to domestic home owners at a difficult economic time."
Mr Ferguson added that there are a number of advantages to universal metering, such as generating much needed funds for NI Water; more responsible water use by consumers; it would allow for leaks to be identified more readily; and NI Water would be able to ensure that all their customers were treated equally.
The UFU says it will respond to the consultation when issued, representing the views of its 12,000 members.
