IRISH PEOPLE ARE using 20% more water each day at home compared to usage in February, Irish Water has said, in a bid to ask people to watch their consumption.
People in Ireland were first advised to stay at home in almost all cases by the government in mid-March and as a result, Irish Water has confirmed a significant increase in household water usage since then.
Households are using an extra 24 litres of water per person per day, 20% more than usage in February. This is in line with similar increases in the UK.
The decrease in non-domestic water use in places like construction sites, schools, gyms and restaurants has helped to off-set some of the increase in household demand, Irish Water said.
However, domestic usage in the home accounts for two-thirds of Irish Water consumers so the water supply remains under pressure.
Irish Water said it wants to be prepared for when businesses reopen as they will use a lot of water for tasks like cleaning and flushing plumbing systems and storage tanks.
The company appealed to the public in Dublin in particular where water treatment plants are already working to maximum capacity.
It asked people to conserve water where possible to help meet these increased demands.
To reduce your usage, here is what Irish Water recommends.
Irish Water’s regional operations manager, John O’Donoghue, said people should look at other ways to conserve water but continue to follow HSE guidance on vigorous and frequent handwashing.
“We can see a significant change in water usage patterns in commuter belt towns and rural areas where significant numbers of people would usually be out of the house for long periods during the day,” O’Donoghue said.
“We need to ensure that we can supply more treated drinking water than is required for use. We can manage this by conserving water, losing less by repairing leaks and supplying smarter by ensuring that all of our plants are working optimally.”
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