THE PUBLIC IS being urged to report leaks as a rapid thaw is expected in the coming days.

Uisce Éireann has said the freezing temperatures set to be replaced by much milder conditions at the weekend, the rapid thaw is expected to lead to a further increase in leaks and bursts throughout the network. 

The utility has deployed additional crews to fix these leaks if they arise. 

The public is being asked to check any property under their responsibility for burst pipes and leaks, and reporting leaks in public areas so they can be prioritised for repair.

In particular, people are asked not to leave taps running and to fix dripping or leaking taps.

Uisce Éireann said demand for water across the Dublin area reached record levels this week. 

“This week, daily demand in the Greater Dublin Area was the second highest in living memory at almost 630 million litres per day. This is an increase of approximately 15 million litres per day since last week and almost 40 million litres more than this time last year,” Uisce Éireann regional operations manager Stephen Burke said. 

“Water is a precious resource that must go through a complex and costly treatment process before it is safe to drink. While there are sufficient levels in our raw water reservoirs, demand is now at or near the capacity of what the city’s water treatment plants can produce on a daily basis,” Burke said.

Our crews are on the ground working to tackle leaks and maximise our treatment capacity and we are asking the public for their support to help reduce the overall demand by preventing avoidable loss of water and conserving water.”

Tips on water saving can be found on Uisce Éireann’s website. This also includes a conservation calculator which allows people to work out how much water they are currently saving and how to conserve more. 

Uisce Éireann customer care is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 1800 278 278.