A Donegal County Councillor has said people should stop Irish Water installing meters on their property – unless their water quality is good enough.
Cllr Frank McBrearty is advising people not to allow Irish Water to install meters if their water quality is not up to standard.
Cllr Frank McBrearty spoke out on the issue with thousands of meters to be installed in Donegal homes in the coming weeks.
But the former Mayor of Donegal said he wanted to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with householders to get the best standard of water quality.
And the Raphoe-based politician said he was encouraging people to go to court if necessary to get a proper standard of water.
Cllr McBrearty told Donegal Daily “What I am advising people to do is not to allow Irish Water onto their property if their water quality is not acceptable.
“If that means going to court and explaining that the quality of water is not up to standard then so be it.
Cllr Frank McBrearty
“On a personal level my water is fine but I know just 500 yards away from me is simply not good enough at all. I would be advising people like that not to allow meters to be installed on their property,” he said.
He added that Irish Water is a business and they must operate within acceptable business standards.
“My father runs a pub in Raphoe and if he handed out a pint of Guinness or Smithwicks that wasn’t of an acceptable standard, then you would not expect a person to pay.
“If the same thing happened a second time, then you would not expect a person to come back into the bar.
“There is a standard that Irish Water must meet and they are not meeting that at present.
“Until such time as that happens, I am advising people not to allow Irish Water staff onto their property to install water meters,” he said.
