Padraig Mulligan, from Templeboy, is among hundreds of farmers and business people in Sligo who have been hit with large bills as a result of new water meters.

Sligo is one of the areas to be used as a pilot area nationally for the introduction of water meters on farms and businesses to charge for the commercial use of water.

Mulligan told the Sunday Tribune: "Farmers across the country need to know that this is our problem in Sligo today but it will be everyone else's tomorrow."

Under the metering system, farmers and business people have to pay an annual rent of 80 for each meter and a further 5.14 per 1,000 gallons of water used.

The water issue has become a major election issue in Sligo with the IFA and Ibec among the groups to vent their anger at the charges.

Teresa Gilligan, chairperson of Sligo IFA, said, "Water is falling from the sky and springing from the ground so why should we have to pay over the odds for it? It is a vital ingredient for life and you should not have to pay excessively for it."

Farmers and business people are currently receiving water bills for the first three months of last year and their huge bills have left them shocked.

"When you multiply the bill I got for the first three months of the year by four, it amounts to 13,200, " said Mulligan.

"That does not take into account times of the year when I use more water on my farm so I estimate that my total bill will cost over 16,000 for the year. If water charges stay like this, farmers in Sligo will go out of business as there is no way they can afford to pay these charges."

Mulligan was eager to stress that farmers are willing to pay for their water, but they are not able to pay a cost of 5.68 per 1,000 gallons . . . an increase that was recently agreed by Sligo County Council.

Senator Eamon Scanlon has lobbied environment minister Dick Roche on the issue and arranged a meeting between Sligo councillors and officials from the Department of the Environment.

Scanlon said, "People don't mind paying for water but they just want to pay a fair price.

Because Sligo was a pilot county we have to pay higher rates than other areas."

The Sunday Tribune has learned that Roche has now received a report from department officials, which he is currently considering.