Billing Explained
In January 2014 Irish Water assumed responsibility for public water services. Your Local Authority then began issuing bills for water services to your business on our behalf, managing all queries in relation to your business account. Over a phased basis, Irish Water began managing all business accounts directly including billing for water services.
There are two types of bills:
Metered bill
If your premises has a meter you will receive metered bills. Our Understand your bill page contains information about metered bills. Visit our Business charges page for information on metered water charges.
Unmetered bill
If your premises doesn’t have a meter you receive unmetered bills. Our Understand your bill page contains information about unmetered bills. Visit our Business charges page for information on unmetered water charges. We bill all customers based on previous usage.
Paying your bill
Payments must be made directly to Irish Water (not your Local Authority). You can pay your business water services bill in a number of ways.
- Our billing page gives details on our convenient payment options
- If you haven't already done so you may need to update your payment arrangements to direct payments to Irish Water
Business and domestic use premises
Some business customers may use water services at a premises for both business and domestic purposes. This is called mixed usage. Mixed usage may include farms with a farmhouse, B&Bs, or retail units with residential accommodation located above them.
- Business water use includes usage within offices, hairdressers, restaurants, industry and agriculture
- Domestic water use is the personal use of water within a household
Additional services
For additional services, for example sludge removal, we issue separate bills under separate Irish Water account numbers. Contact us to request additional services.
Important note on new charges
Following deferral of the original implementation date of 1 May 2020, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) announced a revised date of 1 October 2021 for the new set of national water and wastewater business charges to come into effect.
Business Tariff Calculator
You can still use our Business Tariff Calculator to calculate your future bill amount. Here we provide a detailed explanation on each Service Type Definition so you can utilise the calculator accurately.
Leakage Allowance
How does a customer apply for a leak allowance
To qualify for a leak allowance:
- All previous bills must be paid up to date.
- In order to receive a full leak allowance, customers must notify Irish Waterof the leak within six months of the bill where the leak is first evidenced and must fix the leak within a further six weeks.
- If one or both of these time limits is not met, the customer will have a further three months to notify and fix the leak in order to receive a 50% leak allowance.
Customer receives bill
Customer receives high bill and suspects a leak on external supply pipe or underground pipes.
(Up to 6 months to notify Irish Water of the leak)
Customer fixes leak
Customer has a further 6 weeks to fix the leak after notifying Irish Water of the issue.
(Up to 6 weeks to fix the leak)
Applying for allowance
Customer can receive full leak allowance covering “leak bill” billing period plus maximum six months plus six weeks.
(Up to 3 months to receive 50% leak allowance if leak is notified and fixed)
Receiving the allowance
Customer can receive 50% leak allowance covering maximum 6 months plus 6 weeks.
(No allowance granted after 6 months plus 6 weeks)
- Leak allowances will be granted for leaks on the external supply pipe and also for leaks on underground pipework.
- Customer must submit a valid Plumber’s report. A valid plumber’s report will
- State that a leak has been identified and repaired
- Confirm the location of the leak
- Provide the date and the read when the leak was repaired
- Signed, with a VAT/CRO number or Company stamp
The customer will be asked to provide a confirmation read at least twoweeks after the leak period end date to confirm the leak has beenrepaired. Customer reads will be accepted as a confirmation read but thecustomer must be advised that once their next actual read is received,Irish Water reserves the right to review the consumption and theallowance may be subject to change.
Trade Effluent
A key distinguishing feature between the provision of water and wastewater services in the non-domestic sector is that wastewater strength can vary quite significantly and can have very different treatment costs, sometimes justifying an additional charge for users discharging wastewater with strengths greater than ‘normal strength’ or domestic wastewater. Trade Effluent is typically a residual waste of trade, service, research or manufacturing activities in the form of wastewater that is discharged to the sewer. Trade Effluent typically has a different composition to domestic wastewater and may contain additional pollutants that proves difficult to treat. The management of extra matter contained in Trade Effluent such as organic wastes, soluble or insoluble chemicals or compounds, including nutrients or metals, can lead to increased costs associated with the monitoring, treatment and disposal of the Trade Effluent or its by-products.
Under Section 16 of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977 (as amended), an individual or business may not discharge a trade effluent to the sewer except in accordance with a licence issued under these regulations.
If you have any queries about Trade Effluent charges you can contact Irish Water at 1850 778 778.