Irish water's detail dilemma

Irish Water will have to ask households to volunteer information before water billing begins, writes Michael Brennan Political Correspondent.

DCC workers repairing water pipes on Jamestown road in Inchicore, Dublin: Irish Water will have to ask each household how many people are living in it. Picture: Feargal Ward

Irish Water warned in advance that the one million households without a water meter could lie about how many people were living there to reduce their bills.

But the government rejected its advice and the company will now have to ask households to volunteer the information before billing begins in October.

The only official source of information on how many people live in each house is contained in the 2011 census, but the ...