One county hit with hosepipe ban to conserve essential water supplies as national levels drop

A hosepipe ban comes into place in one county from tonight as drought leaves tens of thousands of households at risk of water shortage.

Irish Water has issued a water conservation order for 40,000 people using 30 severely depleted supplies in west Cork, where water levels have dropped to what has been described as “historic lows”.

It will come into effect at midnight and run for four weeks, but could be extended if not enough rain falls to restore supplies before then.

Irish Water is also warning that other parts of the country, particularly in Wexford, Galway, Tipperary and Kerry, need interventions such as water tanks and pressure reduction to keep taps running.

Dozens of other supplies, particularly in the midlands, are under close watch as levels drop, with below average rainfall due in the coming weeks.

Football pitches around the country in particular look scorched with little grass growth, due to lack of rain in recent weeks. 

Under the ban non-essential water uses are prohibited, including using hoses to water lawns and plants, wash private cars or leisure boats, and fill swimming pools or ponds.

However, small paddling pools may be filled if it can be done with a hand-held container filled from a normal tap, and ponds with fish may also be replenished, but other water features such as fountains and artificial lakes must not.

Margaret Attridge of Irish Water, said: “Irish Water’s top priority is to protect our water supply for use in homes, businesses and essential services. Water levels at our surface water and ground water sources in the West Cork area have reduced to historic lows. As demand continues to outstrip supply in West Cork and with further dry weather predicted, we have taken the extra step of implementing a Water Conservation Order to safeguard local water supplies.

“The introduction of this Order follows a series of measures that Irish Water has put in place to safeguard supplies over the summer, including tankering water to reservoirs, nightime shut offs in some areas, pressure management and a public information campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of water conservation year-round.

"We will continue to analyse water consumption levels while the Water Conservation Order is in place. It is essential that our water supply is protected if we are to avoid restrictions and outages over the coming weeks and months," Ms Attridge said.

Anyone found breaking the ban can be fined €125.