Water charges for businesses

Commercial organisations and non-domestic customers must pay water charges, if water is being supplied for their use.

Non-domestic customers include:

• Businesses
• Mixed-use customers, who use water services for both business and domestic purposes
• Group water schemes

For example, hospitals, health centres, schools, farms and clubs must all pay for their water.

Recent changes to non-domestic water charges

On 1 October 2024, new charges for non-domestic water users were introduced. These new charges apply until 30 September 2025. Find out more about these new charges in 'How much will I be charged' below.

If your bill significantly increases because of these new charges, you may qualify to have your bill capped.

There are 2 types of commercial water charges accounts, metered and unmetered. The amount you are charged depends on the type of account you have and the amount of water you use.

New charges for non-domestic water customers were introduced on 1 October 2024. You can find examples and case studies of the new billing method for non-domestic customers on Uisce Éireann’s website. You can also use the Business Tariff Calculator to get an estimate of your new non-domestic water charges.

Unmetered non-domestic water account

If your business does not have a water meter you have an unmetered account. This means you pay a flat-rate charge to Uisce Éireann for your water. If a business has more than one unmetered connection, they pay a separate fixed charge for each one. Unmetered connections are grouped into 2 pricing categories:

1. Band 1 - For most connections.
2. Band 2 - For connections that had higher unmetered charges in the past.

Most customers will be charged the Band 1 rate. However, if your unmetered water charges were higher than the cost of using 1,000 cubic meters per year on a water meter, you will pay the Band 2 rate. This applies to charges before October 2021 (or October 2022 for some public schemes).

Metered non-domestic water accounts

A metered non-domestic water account means you have a water meter for your business that monitors your commercial water usage. Non-domestic metered accounts have a standing charge and a volumetric (variable) charge for water.

Metered connections are grouped into 5 pricing categories (tariff classes). Your tariff class is determined by the amount of water you use per year (annual quantity).

At the end of each billing year, Uisce Éireann will work out your annual quantity for each connection. This determines which tariff class your connection falls into for the next year.

You can get a domestic allowance if your water supply is mixed use (used for both domestic and commercial use). The domestic allowance applies at a national rate of 213,000 litres per year.

Commercial premises (like farms or other rural businesses) that are members of group water schemes have to pay for the water they use to run their business. 

Mixed-use customers get a group water scheme domestic allowance, to cover their domestic water usage. In most cases, a water meter monitors this usage.

If your business belongs to a directly billed public group water scheme you:

• Are charged for water services directly, if you are the occupier of the business property
• Are charged a standing charge and any applicable tariff
• Get a domestic allowance of 213,000 litres
• Are charged a volumetric charge for water usage above the domestic allowance, if you are a mixed-use customer

If your business is a part of a bulk meter public group water scheme:

• Uisce Éireann does not bill you directly. Instead, charges are set by your group water scheme at their annual general meeting (AGM)
• You get a domestic allowance of 160,000 litres
• You may be charged a standing charge, which is set by your group water scheme at their annual general meeting
• You are charged for water above the domestic allowance and for any applicable tariff class

In both cases, business owners may qualify for discounts if the water supply is not safe to drink or allowances if leaks occur.

All commercial premises must pay their water charges. If you do not pay, Uisce Éireann can take you to the District Court to recover the charges from you. Alternatively, they can disconnect or restrict your water supply. However, this is rarely done because of the implications for health and safety. If you have difficulty paying your bill, you should contact Uisce Éireann to discuss your options. You can pay your water charges bill in a number of ways.

If you are a business in a private group water scheme, you pay the group water scheme for the water you use.

If you have difficulty paying your bills, you might be able to get a hardship waiver. A hardship waiver means that your bill is waived or reduced. This waiver may be available if you are in a group water scheme that:

• Bills its non-domestic members directly
• Operates as a co-operative (owned and run solely by its members)

The members and trustees of your group scheme decide when charges can be waived or reduced.

If you are in a private group scheme and you are finding it difficult to make your payments, you should discuss this with the trustees of the group.

If you have questions about paying charges, customer categorisation, or need help with your water services, contact Uisce Éireann or visit their website. If you have questions about a group water scheme, contact the National Federation of Group Water Schemes below.