Public urged to conserve water as hosepipe ban in effect

A nationwide hosepipe ban has come into effect today and will remain in place until 26 August.

The Water Conservation Order, which was introduced last week for the Greater Dublin Area and parts of Wexford, Wicklow, Meath, Kildare and south Tipperary, applies across the country from today.

It comes as Ireland’s prolonged spell of hot, dry weather continues to put drinking water supplies under pressure.

The order applies to all households and prohibits the use of hosepipes for activities such as washing cars, watering gardens and filling paddling pools.

The recent spell of hot weather, combined with well-below average rainfall, has led to exceptionally high water demand, placing increasing pressure on both raw water sources and treated drinking water supplies.

Uisce Éireann said the restrictions are necessary to ensure there is sufficient water for homes, businesses, farms, hospitals, vulnerable customers and other essential services in the weeks ahead.

In addition to the hosepipe ban, the utility is urging people across the country to use only the water they need and avoid unnecessary water use until conditions improve.

It has highlighted a range of simple water-saving measures, including taking shorter showers, fixing leaking taps and toilets, and avoiding the use of hosepipes and garden sprinklers.

According to Uisce Éireann, using a garden hose or sprinkler for just one hour can consume more water than the average family uses in an entire day.

Uisce Éireann said the prolonged warm and dry conditions have left several groundwater sources under increasing stress, with reduced yields – or, in some cases, no yield at all – being recorded.

In some areas, including parts of the Greater Dublin Area and popular coastal visitor destinations, demand for water continues to place supplies under pressure, frequently exceeding local production capacity.

Nighttime water restrictions are also currently in place on 53 of the country’s approximately 700 public water supplies, mainly in areas where local sources remain under severe pressure.