Water Conservation Order extended for three supplies in Counties Meath, Westmeath and Donegal

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