Householders will now face excessive water use charges after the Government approved proposals on Tuesday.
According to RTÉ News, under the new system householders will be be given a charge if they use 1.7 times more than their water allowance.
Although no fixed rate has been set, it has been previously been reported that householdees could be charged in the region of €260 if they have surpassed their water allocation..
The Government say notices of excessive usage will be issued to households from June, but any charges will not be implemented until next year.