Ireland’s water utility company, Irish Water, has warned that due to a steady increase in demand in drinking water over the past few weeks, there is a shortening gap between supply and demand in the Greater Dublin Area.
Irish Water and Local Authorities in the Greater Dublin Area are appealing to customers to conserve water where possible in a bid to reduce water usage during the busy Christmas period.
The current increase in demand is higher than any previous year and is 10 million litres a day, higher than this time last year.
Irish Water is currently upgrading the Vartry Water Supply Scheme by building a new treatment plant, and upgrading the treated water reservoir at Stillorgan, representing an investment of approximately €200 million. These upgrades are due to be completed in 2020.
How to help conserve water
Simple water conservation efforts can have a significant impact on driving down demand on the supply. Irish Water called on customers to conserve water through actions such as turning off the tap while brushing their teeth and shaving which can save up to 6 litres of water per minute. Keeping a jug of water in the fridge instead of running the cold tap can save 10 litres of water per day.
John O Donoghue, Regional Operations Manager at Irish Water, said “Irish Water is appealing to the public to conserve water where possible and to only use what they need. We’ve seen demand creeping up in recent weeks and there is currently no headroom in the system. Safe, clean, treated water is not in unlimited supply and we all have to play a part in conserving it. During the drought last year, the conservation measures that people were taking in their homes and businesses helped to significantly reduce demand. However, when the urgency of a drought passes, and in the middle of winter, it is easy to lose focus on how precious water is. Our priority is to maintain the water supply and to avoid placing restrictions and in order to do this we need the public’s support.”
