WATER ON TAP

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Ireland is the only country in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) that doesn’t charge for domestic water. Although Northern Irish residents will be paying up to €500 euro per household year within three years. The situation could change here in the South. If it does then more and more people will be looking for an alternative to the mains supply. Not everyone has access to a fresh well; thankfully other alternatives are readily at hand. A large proportion of the drinking water that comes to our taps is used for the washing machine, showering, bathing and the dishwasher. This means that a lot of energy and chemicals are wasted on water that isn’t used for human consumption.


Here in Ireland we are not short of water, hardly a day goes by where there isn’t a shower or two. Because of this we are in a great position to collect the free supply that falls onto the house roof and store it in containers to be pumped into the house for use on the white goods. Do not be put off by the thought of a smelly old metal barrel at the bottom of a drainpipe with midge larvae bobbing up and down in the green slime. Technology has moved on and there are now state of the art water collectors that catch and store it in underground tanks.

There is a filtration system, which takes out the impurities, and one company even injects ozone into the liquid, so absolutely no chemicals are used, which is very reassuring. The ozone is dissolved in the water, which oxidises and destroys any contamination, leaving it safe to drink before converting back to natural oxygen. This idea is a step closer to houses being self-sufficient units and although the initial cost is quite steep, the benefits will last for years. The manufacturers say that the units are practically maintenance free and the tanks are expected to last the lifetime of the house.


TAP WATER IN BOTTLE

Ian

We bought some water in small bottles last week. I read the ingredients, like you do. The bottle said that it just contained water. This was not water from any particular mountain or underwater reservoir. It was just tap water. The company did not even see fit to filter it first before it was put into the bottle! Packaging is responsible for the public being duped into buying loads of rubbish. Look at cereals for kids. Take away the packaging that contains cartoons and bright coloured images and you are left with a white plastic bag that mainly contains air and sugar. The other bits are processed grains that have lost all of their goodness. You wouldn’t think twice about buying it, like you shouldn’t have to think twice about paying a ridiculous amount of money for something that runs freely from our taps. Regards G.N. by e-mail

Environmental