Top 10% of households consume a third of all domestic water, CSO finds

The top 10 per cent of metered households accounted for more than a third of total domestic measured public water consumption last year, new data shows.

On Thursday, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) published data which shows the average monthly consumption of water per meter, per day in 2021 was 375 litres. This was 1 per cent lower than in 2020, but 6 per cent higher than in 2019.

The median monthly consumption of water per meter per day in 2021 was 280 litres which was 1 per cent lower than in 2020 but 9 per cent higher than in 2019.

Donegal had the lowest average consumption of water in 2021 at 330 litres per meter per day, while Longford had the highest at 430 litres.

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The CSO said the data is based on actual meter readings from Irish Water for households that are connected to the metered public water supply, adding that the figures include water leaks on the household side of the meter.

Linh Nolan, statistician in the environment and climate division of the CSO, said the average consumption per month was highest in June, at 393 litres per day.

“In comparison, the highest average consumption in 2020 was in May at 418 litres per meter per day. This was likely due to more people working from home at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The lowest average consumption per month in 2021 was in November at 357 litres per meter per day,” Ms Nolan said.

“The highest decile, or top 10 per cent of metered households by usage, accounted for 34 per cent of total water consumption and had an average consumption of 1,289 litres per meter per day in 2021. The average for this decile has decreased by 22 per cent from 1,652 litres per meter per day in 2015.”