Are NI Water Fit for Purpose?

[Tonto]

The laughs in this thread keep coming.  Your da remembers the 18th Century, does he?  Wolves eyeing him up as he wiped his arse! 

What are you trying to say? It's a well known suspected fact that wolves and pumas still roam Ireland and particularly northern Ireland woodland areas.

A "suspected fact"!!??   Excellent!

[Puckoon]

Tonto - for all your astuteness in your original post in this thread - you've kinda ruined it all with the second post! Dear oh Dear.

That was funny.

[ardal]

Re read. He didn't actually say his estranged relative lived in Ireland. It's great to laugh at a gobshite who jumps the gun.

Ref Hereiam, he mentions the possibility of poor quality of water out of the taps. Used to know someone who worked there (NIW), and the quality of the water was almost next to none.

Out of interest, when was the last time any of you had a bath as apposed to a shower; including after a hard game (glass houses)

Some of he poliiticians responses have been daft, but when as as a population as NI really had a problem with their home water supplies.

[Tonto]

Re read. He didn't actually say his estranged relative lived in Ireland. It's great to laugh at a gobshite who jumps the gun.

I'm sure he'll be delighted at a knight in shinging armour coming to his rescue but he DID mention Ireland in his first post and his second without implying that he was referring to elsewhere so I think it's a stretch now to say he was talking about his estranged father going to Siberia to wipe his arse.

[Puckoon]

Tonto - this is too much fun so I shouldnt tell you to go and have a read at Olly's posts since his "inception". You'd be doing yourself a massive favour. 

[Olly]

My estranged father lives in central Asia.

[orangeman]

FM Peter Robinson says that NI Water is not FIT FOR PURPOSE.

He described the response as shambolic.

[Tonto]

My estranged father lives in central Asia.

Nicely done YCY

[bailestil]

FM Peter Robinson says that NI Water is not FIT FOR PURPOSE.

He described the response as shambolic.

So will he ask for the Minister in charge resignation?
Obviously not cause all hell would likely break out and as usual everyone loses to maintain the political status quo.

*sigh* no wonder this place is a shambles.

I think this will all ultimately lead to Water Charges. Can you complain about poor service for something we are expecting on the cheap?
Secretary of State - as usual - telling the wee men on the hill what needs to be done. It'll take them another 12 months to come to the same conclusion. Just like the budget which was 18 months late.

[Tony Baloney]

Two simple solutions:

1. Gradually introduce water charges via meters rather than rates, make people think about consumption and disposal.  All non-domestic customers have to pay for the water they consume and the sewage they dispose through the system.

2. Privatise NI Water and use the proceeds to fund other capital work.

Will this happen, not under the current marxist-socialist minister?

Do non-domestic customers not already have a metered water supply?

[Lazer]

NI Water did only have a skelton staff working over christmas, as like almost every other job, the staff were taking there annual christmas holidays

When the thaw came and the leaks became apparent, staff members were all asked to come in to work if they could, even to answer phone calls!

[delboy]

Two simple solutions:

1. Gradually introduce water charges via meters rather than rates, make people think about consumption and disposal.  All non-domestic customers have to pay for the water they consume and the sewage they dispose through the system.

2. Privatise NI Water and use the proceeds to fund other capital work.

Will this happen, not under the current marxist-socialist minister?

Any pray tell how would any of that have solved the problems at hand, once you starting charging for water do the pipes suddenly become immune to bursting in a freeze 
That has to be the most harebrained reason for privitasing a utility/fundamental human right  i've ever heard.

[oakleafgael]

Just to answer a few questions and points raised over the thread to date. I am neither an apologist or defender for NIW but just giving answers from my own experience of dealing with them every day.

The call centre response and dealing with calls has been a complete shambles and is at the route of the problem. They where badly understaffed which led to widespread frustration from people trying to report leaks or no water supply.

NIW subcontractors have been working every day since the freeze and thaw started, including Christmas day and boxing day, they will be working new years eve and new years day as well. There are a limited number of contractors allowed to carry out this work due to the tender process by which the leakage and repair contract was tendered. Effectively there is one contractor who uses a network of smaller subcontractors to carry out the work. There is a large number of other water main contractors who are equally campable of carrying out the works and are on stand by to start tomorrow morning. They should have been out since boxing day given the scale of the problems. NIW themselves have only a small number of direct staff capable of carrying the works out.

The recent weather is the most severe on record for this time of year. It wasnt the low temperature but the prolonged low temperature the did the majoriy of the damage followed by the rapid thaw. As stupid as it sounds the speed of the thaw has caused most of the pipe fractures.

The vast majority of leaks are not on the distrubution network but on private property. This isnt helped by the time of year with more properties than normal unoccupied. The acts of self preservation by those who have left taps running is disgusting, the car washing and power washing is as bad. People are to used to getting water for nothing, this has to change. Not only should water charges be introduced but it should be by volume as opposed to a lazy charge for all.

When people get something for nothing they place no value on it.

The actions of the minister responsible are also shoddy. Over the last few years water charges have been delayed by all the political parties for electoral reasons. He has stated over the last 6 months that he wants to take NIW back into full public control. This will not work and it should be privatised as quickly as possible.

Any new connection carried out over the last 5 years has a meter fitted. It would pay for itself within a year to fit meters to the rest of the customers. There also needs to be an amnesty given for all unauthorised connections that have been made over the years after which any unregistered connection discovered results in prosecution and back charging.

[oakleafgael]

Two simple solutions:

1. Gradually introduce water charges via meters rather than rates, make people think about consumption and disposal.  All non-domestic customers have to pay for the water they consume and the sewage they dispose through the system.

2. Privatise NI Water and use the proceeds to fund other capital work.

Will this happen, not under the current marxist-socialist minister?

Any pray tell how would any of that have solved the problems at hand, once you starting charging for water do the pipes suddenly become immune to bursting in a freeze 
That has to be the most harebrained reason for privitasing a utility/fundamental human right  i've ever heard.

Its quite simple, the capital used is spent on network improvements.

Im sick over the last week listening to human rights bullshit speak.

[Tony Baloney]

Two simple solutions:

1. Gradually introduce water charges via meters rather than rates, make people think about consumption and disposal.  All non-domestic customers have to pay for the water they consume and the sewage they dispose through the system.

2. Privatise NI Water and use the proceeds to fund other capital work.

Will this happen, not under the current marxist-socialist minister?

Any pray tell how would any of that have solved the problems at hand, once you starting charging for water do the pipes suddenly become immune to bursting in a freeze 
That has to be the most harebrained reason for privitasing a utility/fundamental human right  i've ever heard.

As you well know the assumption is that water charges introduce some much needed investment to allow a rolling upgrade to the water infrastructure. Not that much of a stretch really?!

Do non-domestic customers not already have a metered water supply?

That is what I meant to say.  I was trying to point out that the metering system was already in place to calculate bills for water and sewage.  Extending the system to domestic customers would require meters for everyone which would take some time to implement.

And costly.