Water supplies across 31 catchment areas in eight counties have officially entered “drought status”, with Uisce Éireann appealing to customers to “really consider” their usage.
Water supply catchment areas in counties Waterford, Offaly, Cork, Galway, Donegal, Meath, Kilkenny and Wexford are under drought status, according to the water utility.
Conservation orders have been issued for Mullingar, Co Westmeath; Milford, Co Donegal; and Kells-Oldcastle, Co Meath, following what it described as a “a drier-than-normal autumn, winter and spring”.
Drought status is not the same as a conservation order, which is only imposed when “absolutely necessary”, Uisce Éireann said.
It comes as Ireland is expected to follow continental Europe into a heatwave later this week, with temperatures potentially reaching the mid to high 20s.
“The water network is experiencing increased pressure on supplies across several regions,” Uisce Éireann said, citing counties Dublin, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford, Cork, Galway, Donegal, Meath, Westmeath, Clare and Wexford.
“While the warmer weather is certainly a welcome change, it does place additional demands on our water supplies. “[We] would appeal to customers to take the opportunity to really consider their water usage and reflect on the daily and easy actions they can take to play their part in ensuring our water resources are used wisely”.
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The appeal comes despite provisional rainfall data from Met Éireann last week that suggested June had experienced more rain than usual with a monthly average of 100mm, the wettest since 2022.
Last month was also the fourth warmest June in Ireland since data began to be collected by meteorologists in 1900, but experienced less sunshine than usual.
Uisce Éireann explained that while Ireland experiences high levels of annual rainfall, much of the water is lost due to old water infrastructure.
“This highlights the need for investment in our water networks and also compounds the need for water conservation,” it said.
Household are urged to adopt several measures including using a watering can instead of a hose, turning off the tap when brushing teeth and ensuring that appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines are fully loaded before use.
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“Running a hose for just one hour uses as much water as a family would typically need in an entire day,” it said. Businesses have also been advised to conduct water audits, appoint a “water steward” and invest in water-saving devices.
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Meanwhile, Met Éireann has said the rest of the week is forecast to be considerably drier and temperatures will increase as the week progresses with Friday potentially reaching 28 degrees.
