Irish Water appeals to people to conserve water during heatwave

Irish Water is urging people to conserve water as demand increases and high temperatures are likely to continue.

To ensure consistency of supply throughout West Cork, Irish Water is appealing to people to use water for essential use only in the home, in the garden, at work and on the farm, especially over the coming weeks.

Neil Smyth, Irish Water’s operations lead, said, 'With temperatures remaining high we have seen demand for water increase with the population double in some areas from what would be normal - in particular tourist hotspots in popular coastal regions.'

In Cork, Irish Water is working with the County Council to ensure a reliable supply can be maintained during the summer and beyond, but that could be dependent on conserving water where possible.

As rivers, lakes and groundwater levels reduce through the summer and autumn period, there is less water available for supply, while at the same time the warmer weather gives rise to increased water demands for domestic, agricultural and leisure uses.

Some of the helpful tips for conserving water include:

- Take a shorter shower and save up to 10 litres of water per minute
- Fix dripping taps or leaking toilets in your home
- When brushing your teeth or shaving, turn off the tap and save up to 6 litres of water per minute
- Save and reuse water collected from baths, showers, and hand basins in the garden
- Avoid using paddling pools
- In the garden use a rose head watering can instead of a hose and aim for the roots
- If you need to wash your car, use a bucket and sponge instead of a hose
- And report any leaks to Irish Water at 1800 278 278.