I don’t know if it will reduce the cost of treatment.
It depends on a number of factors:
1. How much water is being wasted through over-use.
2. How much water is being wasted through leaks in local authority pipes (including local authority housing and accommodation).
3. How much capacity we have for treating water.
4. How many water treatment plants we have that will have to be upgraded one way or another.
5. How much more it costs to run at greater capacity of one is running at high capacity.
6. How much capacity we will require for treating water if water charges are effective.
7. How much capacity for treating water we will require if water charges are ineffective or are not brought in.
8. How much it would cost to identify water wastage without bringing in charges.
9. How motivated and how effective local authorities will be to improve water facilities if charges are brought in and rates drop.
10. How much more competent and efficient our local authorities will become as a result of having additional money to spend on water treatment .
In any event, water is a utility and the most equitable way of charging for utilities is through taxes. Increasing the cost of healthcase could reduce the numbers of people attending our hospitals. Increasing the cost of public transport could reduce the numbers using buses and therefore the number of buses we require.
The real justification for water charges can only be that over-use of water is degrading the water table and therefore we are facing a water shortage. I think water charges are a good idea in that case once the meters have been put in everywhere and there is transparency as to where the real water wastage is.
TOD: