Uisce Éireann has confirmed that the Water Conservation Order for Cork will be extended until midnight on September 30th, as water sources and public water supplies in the county remain under pressure and need more time to recover.

The current nationwide Order is due to expire at midnight  this Wednesday.  However, the Order will remain in place in Cork and 12 other counties where continued protection of water supplies is required. The extension is subject to prevailing weather conditions and the availability of water for distribution.

The Water Conservation Order was introduced on July 24th following a prolonged period of hot and dry weather, high water use and growing pressure on public water supplies. While increased rainfall and the public’s conservation efforts have improved conditions in many parts of the country, supplies in parts of the east and south remain under pressure.

Water supplies across Cork continue to experience sustained pressure as warm weather drives higher demand and reduced rainfall affects local water availability. A number of smaller raw water impoundments across the county have seen significant reduction in storage levels over the summer. While supplies remain secure, extending the Order will help protect available capacity and maintain resilience.

At Crookhaven, demand for treated water from the raw water impoundment increased significantly, peaking at 202,000 litres per day in August compared to an average daily demand of 60,000 litres in April.

Uisce Éireann is continuing to tanker water to support smaller supplies in parts of the country where source yields have been impacted by dry conditions, further increasing pressure on the system.

Customers are being asked to continue using only the water they need and to avoid non-essential water use. This will help conserve the water currently available and protect supplies for homes, businesses, farms, hospitals, vulnerable customers and essential services.

Niall O’Riordan, Operations Manager with Uisce Éireann thanked communities across Cork for their support.

'We recognise the effort that people have already made to conserve water, and we sincerely appreciate their continued support. Although conditions have improved in many parts of the country, Cork’s water sources and public water supplies need more time to recover. Extending the Water Conservation Order will help us protect the water that is available and reduce the risk of disruption to customers.

'Simple actions can make a real difference. Taking shorter showers, fixing dripping taps or leaking toilets, running washing machines and dishwashers only when full, and using a watering can instead of a hose will all help.'

Uisce Éireann is continuing to take operational measures to maintain supplies. These include maximising water production, repairing leaks, moving water by tanker where necessary and managing the network to reduce the risk of outages

The public can help by reporting visible leaks on the public water network to Uisce Éireann on 1800 278 278 or through water.ie. Further water conservation advice is available at water.ie/conservation.