Water Conservation Order extended for three supplies in Counties Meath, Westmeath and Donegal
Information below is relevant until further updates are provided here or on our Supply and Service Updates section
Uisce Éireann can confirm that Water Conservation Orders (WCOs), commonly referred to as hosepipe bans, for three public water supplies in Counties Meath, Westmeath and Donegal will be extended for a further four weeks until 13 October. These extensions apply to the following supplies:
- Kells–Oldcastle, Co. Meath
- Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
- Milford, Co. Donegal
The decision to extend these WCOs follows continued monitoring which shows that water levels in the lakes supplying these areas remain critically low. Despite recent rainfall, the long-term effects of a dry autumn, winter and spring – followed by the warmest summer on record - have left these sources significantly depleted. These lakes are fed by underground springs or have small catchments and can take considerably longer to recharge than other sources, meaning recovery will be slow even with wetter weather conditions.
Throughout the summer, Uisce Éireann’s operational teams have worked intensively to maintain supply by repairing leaks, managing pressure in the network and tankering directly to reservoirs. These efforts, together with communities supporting our conservation appeals, have helped to stabilise supply, but the risk of water supply disruption remains high.
WCOs currently in place for Counties Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford and Cork lapse on 16 September and will not be extended. Increased rainfall and stabilising demand for water in these areas have reduced the critical risk to these water sources. Uisce Éireann would like to acknowledge and thank the public for their continued support in conserving water and reporting leaks.
However, while WCOs may be lifted in some areas, it remains critically important that everyone continues to do their bit to conserve water. Uisce Éireann continues to monitor all public water supplies across Ireland.
“We know the public has made a huge effort over the summer to reduce their water use, and we’re very grateful for that,” said Mairead Conlon, Asset Strategy Senior Manager at Uisce Éireann. “But even where hosepipe bans are being lifted, it’s important that people continue to use water wisely. The situation remains stark in several parts of the country following the warmest summer on record, and even though we are seeing a return to cooler, wetter weather, it will take several weeks or even months for those sources to recover.”
Below are some easy water-saving tips:
- Turn off the tap: Brushing your teeth with the tap running wastes up to six litres of water per minute. Turning it off while brushing can reduce that to just one litre.
- Switch to a shower: Showers use about half the amount of water as baths. Invest in water saving appliances such as water efficient taps and shower heads.
- Shorter showers: With the average shower using seven litres of water per minute by turning your five-minute shower into four minutes, you could save up to seven litres of water per day!
- Fully load your appliances: Always ensure your dishwasher and washing machine are fully loaded before use. A typical washing machine uses approximately 65 litres of water, and a dishwasher uses around 20 litres per cycle. By ensuring they are fully loaded, not only will you conserve water, but you will also reduce your energy bills.
- Leave the hose in the shed: Drop the hose and use a rose head watering can to water your plants instead of a hose or sprinkler. Running a hose for just one hour uses as much water as a family would typically need in an entire day.
- Bucket and sponge for your car: Using a bucket and sponge to wash your car can save hundreds of litres of water compared to using a hose or power washer.
- For more information on water conservation and to access our Water Conservation Calculator, visit here.
Previous Updates
Uisce Éireann has announced an extension of the Water Conservation Order (commonly referred to as a hosepipe ban) for the three previously affected supplies: Mullingar, Co. Westmeath; Milford, Co. Donegal; and Kells-Oldcastle, Co. Meath. The Order will now remain in effect for an additional seven weeks, until Monday, August 4 2025.
While recent weeks have brought cooler and wetter weather, water supplies in several parts of the country remain under significant pressure. Twenty-one supplies nationally remain in drought status, and Uisce Éireann continues to monitor and manage these areas closely.
It would take several weeks of sustained rainfall to allow affected water sources to recover to normal levels. Forecasts also indicate a likely return to warmer, drier weather from next week, which could further increase demand and place additional strain on already stressed supplies.
Margaret Attridge, Head of Water Operations with Uisce Éireann, stated:
“Although we’ve seen some welcome rainfall, the long-term effects of a dry autumn, winter and spring are still being felt. Some water sources have not recovered to sustainable levels, and so extending the Water Conservation Order is necessary to protect these vulnerable supplies.
“Nationally there are 21 locations across the country which remain in drought status across counties Westmeath, Donegal, Meath, Cork, Clare, Galway, Waterford, Wexford, Tipperary, Offaly and Laois. That’s why we are reminding everyone—regardless of whether they are in an area under a formal order—to continue to conserve water. Every drop counts, especially as we move into what is expected to be a warmer, drier period.”
The Water Conservation Order prohibits the use of garden hosepipes and other non-essential uses of water by domestic users and commercial premises for non-commercial activities. This measure is essential to safeguard water supplies for homes, businesses, and essential services.
Key Tips to help you conserve water
- Leak free: Check for running overflows and fix any dripping taps, cisterns or pipes.
- Drop the hose: use a watering can to water your plants instead of a hose or sprinkler.
- Don’t let the tap run: Brushing your teeth with the tap running can use up to a staggering 6 litres per minute. Brushing your teeth with the tap off will use a more modest 1 litre of water.
- Shower vs Bath: Showers use up to half the amount of water as baths.
- Less time: With the average shower using 7 litres of water per minute by turning your five minute shower into four minutes, you could save up to 7 litres of water per day!
- Fully loaded: Always ensure your dishwasher and washing machines are fully loaded. A modern washing machine uses approximately 65 litres of water per cycle while a dishwasher uses 20 litres. By ensuring they are fully loaded, not only will you conserve water but you will also reduce your energy bills.
- Keep it cool: Keep a jug of water in the fridge instead of running the cold tap; this can save up to 10 litres a day.
- Find out how much water your family uses and how to improve it by checking out our water conservation calculator.
Uisce Éireann has confirmed that a Water Conservation Order, commonly referred to as a hosepipe ban, will be in place for three supplies: Mullingar, Co Westmeath; Milford, Co Donegal; and Kells-Oldcastle, Co Meath. The orders will come into effect at 00:01 on Tuesday, May 6 for six weeks, and will apply only to these locations and not the rest of the country.
However, Uisce Éireann is appealing to all customers to be mindful of their use of water as we enter the summer months.
The Water Conservation Order prohibits the use of garden hosepipes and other non-essential uses of water by domestic users and commercial premises for non-commercial activities, for example watering gardens attached to a business premises.
This Order has been issued in a bid to safeguard these water supplies for essential purposes. This is necessary due to a sharp drop in water levels at the sources supplying these areas following a dryer-than-average autumn, winter and spring. For example, Lough Owel which supplies the Mullingar Public Water Supply is currently at its lowest level in 50 years. Similarly, Lough Colmcille which supplies Milford in Donegal, and Lough Bane which supplies Kells-Oldcastle in Co Meath are also at historically low levels.
In recent weeks, Uisce Éireann has been putting in place a number of measures to maintain and protect these supplies, including enhanced leakage repair works, pressure management and public water conservation campaigns in an effort to reduce demand to sustainable levels.
Margaret Attridge, Head of Water Operations with Uisce Éireann, said: “Uisce Éireann’s top priority is to protect our water supply for use in homes, businesses and essential services. The past 12 months have been drier than normal when compared to the long-term average. This means that some water sources which traditionally would have replenished over the winter period have not seen the same levels of recovery and, as a result, we are starting to experience issues with water availability at these sources.
“While the Water Conservation Order only applies to these three schemes, we are reminding all customers to be mindful of their use of water so that supplies can be protected, especially in areas where water resources are under pressure. As we enter the summer months, warmer weather creates a surge in demand for water, for gardening, leisure and other purposes. However, using a hosepipe for one hour is the equivalent of the daily water usage of an average family and this is generally a non-essential use of water. We are asking everyone to play their part in conserving water and reporting leaks to help alleviate the pressure on our water supplies.
“There are lots of helpful tips for conserving water on water.ie but the key messages are to leave the hose and the pressure washer in the shed; reuse household water for the garden; and take shorter showers. We are calling on everyone to play their part so we can maintain supplies into the summer,” Ms Attridge added.
To help people learn more about saving water Uisce Éireann has developed an easy-to-use conservation calculator so they can work out how much water they are currently saving and how they can conserve even more. The calculator is available here, where you can also find lots of useful water saving tips.
Members of the public can report any leaks in the public water network by contacting Uisce Éireann 24/7 at 1800 278 278.
Key Tips to help you conserve water:
- Leak free: Check that your home is leak free. Check for running overflows and fix any dripping taps, cisterns or pipes
- Don’t let the tap run: Brushing your teeth with the tap running can use up to a staggering 6 litres per minute. Brushing your teeth with the tap off will use a more modest 1 litre of water
- Shower vs. Bath: The average bath uses 80 litres of water compared to an average shower using 49 litres in seven minutes. Switch your bath to a shower for a massive water saving
- Less time: With the average shower using 7 litres of water per minute by turning your five minute shower into four minutes, you could save up to 7 litres of water per day!
- Fully loaded: Always ensure your dishwasher and washing machines are fully loaded. A modern washing machine uses approximately 65 litres of water per cycle while a dishwasher uses 20 litres. By ensuring they are fully loaded, not only will you conserve water but you will also reduce your energy bills
- Don’t flush it all away: A third of all water used in the home is flushed down the toilet. Some larger cisterns can continue to work effectively with a smaller flush. Place a displacement device into the cistern (out of the way of moving parts) to save water.
Water Conservation Tips for Business:
- Conduct a water audit to see where savings can be made
- Appoint water stewards who will champion water conservation
- Invest in water efficient devices and appliances such as dual flush toilets, mixer taps and low flow showers
- Raise awareness amongst customers and employees with water conservation notices & signage
Water Service Updates
Sign up for our free text service to be kept informed of water outages and works in your area.