Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »
Mon 08 Aug 2008Water charges for all inevitable as supplies dwindle, expert warns
UNIVERSAL WATER charges will become "inevitable" in Ireland as supplies begin to dwindle, the country's leading climate change expert has predicted. Prof John Sweeney, head of the Irish Climate Analysis and Research Unit at NUI Maynooth, said that despite the heavy rainfall and floods of the past two summers, Ireland was likely to experience drier summers in the future.
Drier conditions and greater demand from a growing population, would make water a "premium product", he said. As a result, charges would have to be introduced.
Choose a Subscription type - required
