A Cabinet minister has denied that the government lied about the average amount people would pay in water charges.
Richard Bruton insists the average household will pay €238 a year despite figures showing a house with two adults will pay €40 more than that.
However that figure includes properties like holiday homes which drag down the average because they are usually empty.
The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) yesterday published the proposed charges - which will be around €176 for a household with one adult.
This will rise by €102 per extra adult, where the house gets water in and water out. Metered rates are €4.88 per 1,000 litres for water and wastewater services.
Households with septic tanks that do not need wastewater services will pay half - or €2.44 per 1,000 litres.
Where water is unfit for human consumption, affected customers will still have to pay - but they will get a 50 percent reduction during the disruption to their service and a 100% reduction if the disruption lasts more than three months.
Customers with specific medical conditions that need extra water will have their charges capped.
But Mr Bruton says the figures are still within the original promise of government.
