Almost half of Galway’s water is ‘lost’ every day

The official rate of ‘unaccounted for water’ in the city was confirmed yesterday as 44.8%, which means that percentage of water produced is ‘lost to the system’ or goes missing, every day.

Although nobody knows exactly where this ‘missing’ water is, most of it is lost through leaks in the public mains network, and through domestic leaks. Businesses with unmetered connections, unauthorised use of water, and metering errors are also responsible for some of the ‘unaccounted for water’.

The 45% unaccounted for water rate in 2013 in the city is a slight reduction on the previous year when it was touching almost 49%. The unaccounted for water rate in County Galway is 37%, which is down from 39% in 2012.

The waste of water will anger campaigners, who have called for water charges to be scrapped. The authorities, such as Irish Water, argue that water charges are required so that investment in the pipe network can take place, the system’s leaks can be repaired, and water wastage is reduced.

More than 130 people turned out at a ‘We Won’t Pay’ campaign meeting in the Connacht Hotel on Monday, where, according to the organisers, the mood was for a ‘mass boycott’ of water charges. The meeting was addressed by local Anti-Austerity Alliance members, Conor Burke and Saoirse Nic Gabhainn, and Ruth Coppinger a Dublin TD.

There was anger at the meeting in relation to the high rates of unaccounted for water – the cost of producing water would be halved if the leaks were fixed, it was argued. It was pointed out that people already pay for water through general taxation.

Those who attended the meeting have vowed to join the Right2Water Galway rally, on November 1, which is part of a national campaign of resistance to charges and privatisation of the water network.

R2W organisers expect a “huge crowd” for the rally, which commences at 1pm at Spanish Arch that Saturday.

The Galway R2W campaign subsidised buses from Galway to attend the Dublin rally earlier this month that attracted up to 100,000 protesters. It is proposed that all groups opposing the Government’s water policy, including Right2Water Galway and Galway Lockout, will join-up at 2pm in Eyre Square to march in unison.

“This is truly a people’s movement. Just like our water – it belongs to everyone,” said Dette McLoughlin, organiser of R2W Galway.

“We hope that the people of Galway come out onto the streets on Saturday, November 1 to get our message across. We need a display of people power to encourage others in the area to join the campaign, and to show that Galway is ready to stop this Government’s unfair austerity measure and unjust neo-liberal policy.”