• Caroline  and Edmond O’Reilly complained to Southern Water over the  meter
• They  objected to manufacturer Arad Technologies ‘profiteering’ in Palestine 
• Southern  Water agreed to install an appliance made by a different  company

A water company has replaced an Israeli-built  meter in the home of a customer who objected to the ‘repression of  Palestine’.

Caroline and Edmond O’Reilly asked Southern  Water to replace the device because the manufacturers, Arad Technologies, are  accused of ‘profiteering’ in the West Bank.

The company has now agreed to install a  second-hand appliance built by a different manufacturer.

Pro-Palestinian campaigners claim the  decision paves the thousands of other customers to object to the meters on  ethical grounds.

Mrs O’Reilly, of Brighton, East Sussex, said:  ‘The letter said they would be round to change my meter this week because of my  concerns over its origin.

‘I’ve now got a model that’s been  refurbished, instead of the new ones they’ve bought from Arad.’

Mrs O’Reilly said her objection was based on  the Israeli Government’s alleged  incursions on to Palestinian land and Arad’s connections with the government. 

She said: ‘Since 2000 the Israelis have  systematically destroyed the Palestinian water supply infrastructure and  Arad supplies the Israeli  government.

‘Should we turn a blind eye, we collude in  supporting a system that is systematically discriminating against people who are  powerless against a state that seems to be attempting to drive Palestinians out  of Palestine.’

Arad Technologies are said to have installed  3,200 water meters in settlement industrial zones in the West Bank.

The Israeli company secured a £36  million  contract with Southern Water in February 2010 to provide meters, meter reading  services and data hosting services across Hampshire,  Surrey, Kent and  Sussex.

Contract: The Israeli company won a £36million contract to provide water meters,  pictured, meter reading services and data hosting services for Southern Water  across Hampshire, Surrey, Kent and Sussex

It recently announced plans to install  500,000 meters in homes across their region by 2015 in attempt to meet  government targets to cut average water use from 148 to 130 litres per person  per day by 2030.

The cost of installing a meter costs the  company up to £200 per house.

A spokesman from the Palestine Solidarity  Campaign said: ‘Southern Water’s offer of changing the meter paves the way for  thousands of other people to have their meter changed if they  wish.

‘It costs up to £200 to change a meter. How  many people are going to want their Israeli meter out?

‘We will be flyering thousands of households  across Sussex that are due to have an Arad meter installed as part of Southern  Water’s metering programme to let them know they don’t have to have the  Israeli-made device.’

Southern Water said this was the first case  of its kind since 2010 and that their decision did not reflect a blanket  policy.

A spokesman for the company said: ‘A  conclusion should not be drawn that this facility will be offered as an option  to all customers.

‘Every customer’s complaint will be viewed on  an individual basis so that appropriate decisions can be made.

‘I stress that in three years we have  received only about a dozen such requests from nearly 300,000 meter  installations and only one request has been agreed.

‘In one customer’s case we have installed a  second-hand conventional meter which was removed from another property in our  area which now has the improved Arad meters.’