Uisce Éireann appeals to Offaly public to reduce water use amid drought conditions

UISCE Éireann is appealing to the public to conserve water as over 51 water supplies across the country are now officially in drought status.

Uisce Éireann is actively monitoring all water supplies across County Offaly, where several sources are at high risk of entering drought status. This includes supplies in Busherstown, Rahan, Lisduff, Clara, and Ferbane in County Offaly.

To maintain normal supply levels, Uisce Éireann has implemented a range of interventions, including tankering water to reservoirs, nighttime restrictions, and pressure management.

These measures are essential to safeguard water availability and ensure continuity of service during this prolonged dry period.

By taking some simple steps to conserve water at home, in the garden, and at work, everyone in Offaly can help protect the water supplies for their community.

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These include:

• Leave the hose and power washer in the shed and use a watering can for the garden. Running a hose for one hour uses the same amount of water as a family need for a full day.

• If you need to wash your car, use a bucket and sponge instead of a hose or power washer.

• Don’t let the tap run: Brushing your teeth with the tap running can use up to a staggering six litres per minute. Brushing your teeth with the tap off will use a more modest one litre of water.

• Shower v Bath: The average bath uses 80 litres of water compared to an average shower using 49 litres in seven minutes. Switch your bath to a shower for a massive water saving

• Less time: With the average shower using seven litres of water per minute by turning your five-minute shower into four minutes, you could save up to seven litres of water per day!

• Fully loaded: Always ensure your dishwasher and washing machines are fully loaded. A modern washing machine uses approximately 65 litres of water per cycle, while a dishwasher uses 20 litres. By ensuring they are fully loaded, you will conserve water and reduce your energy bills.

Fionnuala Callery, Uisce Éireann, Regional Technical Operations Manager said: “Water levels in many sources are well below normal for this time of year, following a drier-than-average autumn, winter, and spring. The recent dry spell has further increased demand, putting added pressure on our network and reservoirs.

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“We’re working hard to protect and maintain supplies through the summer, but we also need the public’s help. If everyone in Offaly takes a few simple steps to reduce water use at home and in the garden, we can stretch our resources further and help maintain a normal supply.”

To help people learn more about saving water, Uisce Éireann has developed an easy-to-use conservation calculator so they can work out how much water they are currently saving and how they can conserve even more. The calculator is available at www.water.ie/calculator where there are also lots of useful water saving tips.

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

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