Alliance Infrastructure spokesperson Kellie Armstrong MLA has said that stopping the installation of water meters is shortsighted, as it reduces the ability to measure leakage.
Ms Armstrong was speaking during an Assembly debate when the Infrastructure Minister received approval to halt the installation of water meters in domestic properties. Kellie Armstrong said: “We had been told by a previous Minister that full consultation would be carried out before the installation of water meters was halted. That consultation was never carried out.
“Water meters provide a valuable tool for NI Water to identify leakage in the system. Halting the installation will save around £150,000 per year, but the cost of leakage, both financial and environmental is much higher. I have to ask how much money is being flushed down the drain due to leakage, when there is a proven solution.
“I believe those who can afford to pay for water should pay. We constantly have demands for additional funding for essential services, such as health. In the Assembly the parties who voted with the Minister have effectively voted to protect the rich and take away from the vulnerable.”