Uisce Éireann has confirmed that a Water Conservation Order, commonly referred to as a hosepipe ban, will come into effect for four counties from this weekend.

Counties Waterford, Tipperary, Wexford and Cork (excluding Cork city) will face the ban from Saturday, July 26, for seven and half weeks until September 16.  

These are in addition to the three existing Water Conservation Orders which remain in place for Mullingar, Co. Westmeath; Milford, Co. Donegal; and Kells-Oldcastle, Co. Meath.

However, Uisce Éireann is appealing to all customers, irrespective of whether their supply is covered by a Water Conservation Order, to be mindful of their use of water as a significant number of supplies around the country remain under pressure. 

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, e.g., watering gardens attached to a business premises.  

These latest Water Conservation Orders have been issued in a bid to safeguard water supplies for essential purposes following a sharp increase in demand across these four counties since the start of the summer, according to the utility company.

This has put increased pressure on rivers and other water sources supplying these areas, many of which are at historically low levels following a drier than normal autumn, winter and spring. 

In recent weeks, Uisce Éireann said it has been putting in place a number of measures to maintain and protect these supplies, including: enhanced leakage repair works; tankering to reservoirs; pressure management; and public water conservation campaigns in an effort to reduce demand to sustainable levels.  

Asset strategy manager with Uisce Éireann, Mairead Conlon said: “Uisce Éireann’s top priority is to protect our water supply for use in homes, businesses and essential services.

"The situation is compounded by recent increased demand in the south of the country which is associated with warm weather, and other factors such as tourist activity in some areas.

"As a result we have almost 50 supplies which are currently in drought status. This includes many supplies across counties Waterford, Tipperary, Wexford and Cork county in particular, in addition to the three supplies for which Water Conservation Orders were issued earlier this year and remain in place."

Uisce Éireann is urging 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 late summer, warmer weather creates a surge in demand for water, for gardening, leisure and other purposes," Conlon continued.

"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. 

“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," Conlon added.

To help people learn more about saving water, Uisce Éireann has developed a conservation calculator so they can work out how much water they are currently saving and how they can conserve more.

Members of the public can report any leaks in the public water network by contacting Uisce Éireann 24/7 at 1800 278 278 or online.

Below are some easy water-saving tips:  

Leave the hose in the shed - drop the hose during the summer months. Use a rose head watering can to water plants instead of a hose or sprinkler;
Bucket and sponge for the car - using a bucket and sponge to wash a car can save hundreds of litres of water compared to using a hose or power washer;
Turn off the tap - brushing your teeth with the tap running wastes up to 6L of water per minute. Turning it off while brushing can reduce that to just 1L;
Switch to a shower which uses 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 7L of water per minute, by turning a five-minute shower into four minutes, it could save up to 7L of water per day;
Fully load your appliances - always ensure the dishwasher and washing machine are fully loaded before use. A typical washing machine uses approximately 65L of water, and a dishwasher uses around 20L per cycle. By ensuring they are fully loaded, it will conserve water and reduce energy bills.