No NI water charges 'until 2009'

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Northern Ireland householders will not have to pay separate water bills next year, the regional development minister has said.

Conor Murphy told assembly members that water will be paid from rates in the coming year.

The funding will be Â£109m - equivalent to Â£160 of the average household's rates bill.

The executive has decided that the following year, consumers will pay two-thirds of their full liability.

Full bills will be levied the following year.

The move follows a recent independent review on water.

The review of water charging was carried out by a team led by Professor Paddy Hillyard.