Madam, – Dermot Breen (April 21st) notes how inefficient our water treatment and distribution system is. He concludes by asking if there is a better local or domestic rainwater collection system? Sure there is, and I am in the process of putting it together this year, well in advance of the introduction of metering. It consists of collecting rainwater from the roof via the down-chute into a collection tank. The overflow from this goes on to a series of water butts located in the garden. The collection tank is intended to supply the toilets, while the water butts will be used for watering the vegetable garden and lawn.
The final water butt will have a simple filter fitted, meaning it should be okay for washing the car, etc. Voilà! Water charges cut at a stroke. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Here in Galway we have a saying when it comes to the supply of water: once poisoned, twice shy.
We also have a system in place to cover the cost of supplying water to households around the county called income tax, whereby we agree that a certain percentage of our earnings go towards such things as water, the collection of waste, the cost of educating our children and the cost of caring for our sick.
There’s a secondary scheme called Pay Related Social Insurance that we have agreed to in the hope that we will be able to retire at a reasonable age to enjoy the latter part of our lives.
Unfortunately, these funds have been used to cover the losses of wealthy gamblers and this was never part of the agreement. Happily, we the people remain sovereign and we are under no obligation to the scoundrels who reneged on the contract. All bets are off. – Yours, etc,