Uisce Éireann has confirmed that a Water Conservation Order, commonly referred to as a hosepipe ban, will be in place for three supplies: Mullingar, Co Westmeath; Milford, Co Donegal; and Kells-Oldcastle, Co Meath. The orders came into effect at 00:01 today and will be in place for six weeks.
The orders will apply only to these locations and not the rest of the country.
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.
Uisce Éireann said the Order has been issued in a bid to safeguard the water supplies due to a sharp drop in water levels at the sources supplying the areas following a dryer-than-average autumn, winter and spring.
For example, Lough Owel which supplies the Mullingar Public Water Supply is currently at its lowest level in 50 years. Lough Colmcille which supplies Milford in Donegal, and Lough Bane which supplies Kells-Oldcastle in Co Meath are also at historically low levels.
In recent weeks, Uisce Éireann has been putting in place a number of measures to maintain and protect these supplies, including enhanced leakage repair works, pressure management and public water conservation campaigns in an effort to reduce demand to sustainable levels.
Margaret Attridge, Head of Water Operations with Uisce Éireann, said:
“Uisce Éireann’s top priority is to protect our water supply for use in homes, businesses and essential services. The past 12 months have been drier than normal when compared to the long-term average. This means that some water sources which traditionally would have replenished over the winter period have not seen the same levels of recovery and, as a result, we are starting to experience issues with water availability at these sources.
“While the Water Conservation Order only applies to these three schemes, we are reminding 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 the summer months, warmer weather creates a surge in demand for water, for gardening, leisure and other purposes. 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
Barhale has completed work on two separate Rapid Action Taskforce Spills projects it is carrying out for Severn Trent.
Börger UK, which has firmly established itself as a leading pump brand since it was set up in Staffordshire in 2004, has moved into bigger, brand-new premises in Shrewsbury.
HUBER Technology UK & Ireland are inviting people to register for their March webinar where they will be providing information about HUBER water intake screens for municipal and industrial applications.
Sulzer has launched a new global Center of Excellence (CoE) for Water Treatment Solutions - the CoE consolidates Sulzer’s wastewater treatment expertise in a unified and global manner.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.