Uisce Éireann has said hosepipe bans in place in areas in three counties, Meath, Westmeath and Donegal, are to remain in place when similar bans in the south and southeast expire next Tuesday.
The authority said the ban on using hosepipes for tasks such as washing cars and watering gardens will remain in place for a further four weeks until October 13th, despite recent heavy rainfall across the country.
These extended bans specifically apply to supplies in Kells, Co Meath, Mullingar, Co Westmeath and Milford, Co Donegal.
Uisce Éireann said the extensions are necessary because 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,” a spokesman said.
He said lakes that support the three supplies 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 has been repairing leaks, managing pressure in the network and taking water by tankers to reservoirs. “These efforts, together with communities supporting conservation appeals, have helped to stabilise supply, but the risk of water supply disruption remains high,” the spokesman said.
Mairéad Conlon, asset strategy senior manager at Uisce Éireann, warned: “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.”
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Water conservation orders currently in place for counties Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford and Cork lapse next Tuesday, September 16th, and will not be extended.
Increased rainfall and stabilising demand for water in these areas have reduced the critical risk to these water sources, the authority said.
Information on water conservation methods and the authority’s water usage calculator are available here.