LAST UPDATE | 28 Jun 2018

IRISH WATER WILL tonight begin lowering water pressure levels in the Greater Dublin Area as demand for water has increased again in the past 24 hours as a result of the high temperatures.

Irish Water, working with local authorities, is lowering nighttime water pressure levels in the Greater Dublin Area to the minimum level. The utility said it will not impact businesses but will assist in managing demand more effectively.

Eamon Gallen, General Manager of Irish Water told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland this morning that it is “operating on a knife edge”.

In the Greater Dublin Area, Irish Water said it can sustainably and safely produce 610 million litres of water supplies and demand around the country.

However, in the past 24 hours, demand reached 615 megalitres. Irish Water said this level of demand meant drawing from treated water storage to maintain full supply. This option can only be maintained for a limited period of a few weeks, it said.

In a statement today, it said: “Irish Water’s priority is to minimise the impact on homes and businesses, particularly during this period of holidays and high tourism.”

Speaking on Morning Ireland, Gallen said Dublin’s water supply is “not resilient to stand up” to hot weather.

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Demand on water supply is increasing and there is less water available for treatment, said Gallen, who urged people to conserve water where possible.

People should take shorter showers, avoid watering their lawn, and they should not wash their cars during the dry spell.

Other water restrictions

Irish Water said it is “very concerned” about the possibility of having to impose restrictions in the long term.

“This will become unavoidable if the dry conditions persist into the autumn with lower than normal rainfalls,” it said.

Currently, there are other water restrictions in place in a number of areas around the country.

Customers in Kilkenny, Longford, Athlone, north Galway, Louth, and Kerry have already experienced restricted water supply and outages in some cases. Currently, almost 4,000 customers are impacted.

Some areas in Cork, Wicklow, Limerick, Kilkenny, Carlow, Tipperary, Clare, Mayo, Sligo, Donegal, Galway, Roscommon, Laois, Limerick, Kerry, Waterford and Offaly have been identified as being at risk.

Speaking in the Dáil this week, Fine Gael’s Alan Farrell said the public have to be responsible and cut-back on their water usage at times when there are shortages, adding that he was surprised when he got a text message from a constituent to tell him there was a queue for the car wash at a service station in north County Dublin affected by the water shortage.

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government John Paul Phelan said there was a need to promote water conservation, adding that the suggestion of a hosepipe ban is one possible measure.

Hosepipe ban

Irish Water has the power to introduce a hosepipe ban and restrict the use of commercial car washes under current legislation, according to the minister.

Alan Farrell raised the issue of the pressure on Ireland’s water supply during this week’s hot weather, stating that restrictions under the Water Services Act 2007 should be implemented.

Speaking in the Dáil yesterday, Farrell said it is appropriate to look at the implementation of hosepipe bans, administered either through Irish Water or through the local authorities.

“This is a serious issue that will need to be addressed until such time as the capital and, indeed, other parts of the country have a water supply capable of withstanding more than a few days of sunshine. Today is a beautiful day. The temperature is in the high twenties in Dublin. I am sure it is higher elsewhere in the country,” he said.

He added:

There are six locations in the State that are without water at the moment, including one location in my own constituency, another in County Longford, and other places.

Replying to Dublin North TD, the minister said Irish Water is prepared to use section 56 of the 2007 legislation.

“It has the capability under law to act when it finds treated water is at an unacceptably low-level,” he said.

Phelan said that under the Water Services Act 2007 there are already statutory provisions for the introduction of a such a ban and other restrictions designed to conserve water supplies during times of drought.

It also provides for a fine of €125 for breach of such restrictions.

These arrangements can come into force when a water services authority – which effectively means Irish Water – is of the opinion that a serious shortage of water supplies exists or is imminent in an area, he explained.

This would typically be during or following a prolonged period of dry weather but, in any event, it is possible for Irish Water to make such an order where demand is expected to exceed supply and it becomes necessary to restrict the use of water supplies including restricting certain activities involving the use of water.

The minister said that specified activities which may be restricted include watering a garden, watering of recreational parks or sports grounds, irrigating or spraying crops, washing vehicles, the provision of commercial washing services for a vehicle or trailer, or filling or replenishing a swimming pool or an artificial pond or lake.

In practice, the restrictions may apply to specified activities for all or specified parts of the day.

Making an order 

Before making an order the water services authority must give public notice of its intention to make such order and the period for which the order will remain in force through advertising in the public press or broadcast announcements on television or local or national radio, said Phelan.

The minister said such provisions are well established in other European and international jurisdictions.

“While the option of a hosepipe ban is there, we need to look to other conservation measures and the management of our water supplies. Irish Water’s drought management group has been meeting to assess the risk to drinking water supplies,” said Phelan.

The minister said Irish Water has advised him that current storage in the raw water reservoirs in the greater Dublin area, at Roundwood and Pollaphuca, are reasonable and they do not see water shortages at present.

However, if the summer and autumn continue dry and hot, these reservoirs will come under pressure later in the year.

“It behoves all authorities of the State, in addition to citizens, to recognise that their use of water will have a direct impact on their neighbours and communities if they do not act responsibly. Most people recognise that in times of scarcity, such as this, it is up to them to be responsible in their use of water,” concluded the minister.