Irish Water has said it’s important that people take “some simple steps” to conserve water.
Irish Water has urged the public to be especially mindful of their water use ahead of the heatwave set to hit Ireland in the coming days.
With temperatures set to soar to possible highs of 32 degrees, the company has said it is important that people take “some simple steps” to conserve water and avoid the need for restrictions later in the summer.
“While the majority of water supplies are operating normally and there are no plans to introduce restrictions at this time, we expect to see an increase in demand for water over the coming weeks which may put pressure on some supplies,” Irish Water said in a statement.
The company has said that, with the rise in temperature, popular holiday resorts are likely to experience higher than average demand.
Meanwhile, a number of rural areas have already begun to come under pressure, particularly in the south and midlands.
“Irish Water is already taking actions to manage and protect supplies at present in parts of Cork and Tipperary, Carron in Clare and Inis Oírr in Galway,” the company added.
To reduce water usage during the hot weather, Irish Water is appealing to the public to do the following:
- Avoid power washing and keep the garden hose in the shed
- Check for leaks on outdoor taps or troughs as these can lead to large losses of treated water
- Remember that paddling pools and swimming pools can use huge volumes of water so try to minimise the amount of water used and consider reusing the water for the garden or cleaning the car
- Report any visible leaks on the public network by contacting Irish Water at 1800 278 278 or on water.ie
“While we enjoy the sunshine, it is important that we all consider our water usage and look at simple yet impactful ways to conserve water,” Irish Water’s Head of Asset Operations Tom Cuddy said.
“It can sometimes be difficult to know where to start, but even small changes can make a significant difference – and we can all play our part.
“By reducing the water used in paddling pools, turning off the hose and avoiding power washing we can all help ensure there is enough water to for everyone as we go through the summer.
“To help people learn more about saving water, we have developed an easy-to-use conservation calculator so they can work out how much water they are currently saving and how they can conserve even more.
“We will continue to monitor the levels at all our supplies over the coming weeks and months and take any actions that may be necessary to maintain supplies, including communicating about localised issues as they arise.”
The free conservation calculator is available on Irish Water’s website here, where you can also find lots of other water-saving tips.
On Friday morning, Met Éireann issued a Status Yellow high temperature warning for the entire country.
Valid from 6am on Sunday to 9pm on Tuesday, the alert reads: “On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday exceptionally warm weather will occur over Ireland with daytime temperatures of 25 to 30 degrees generally and possibly up to 32 degrees in places on Monday.
“Nighttime temperatures will range from 15 to 20 degrees.”
Met Éireann added that the impact of these high temperatures could include the following:
- Heat stress, especially for the more vulnerable of the population
- High Solar UV index
- Risk of water-related incidents
The warning followed Met Éireann meteorologist Aoife Kealy telling JOE that next Monday (18 July) is set to be the hottest day of not only the current warm spell but also this year so far.
Not only that, it might end up breaking the record for the hottest day in the country since records began, a record previously set way back in June 1887, when a temperature of 33.3 degrees was recorded in Kilkenny.
In terms of safety advice for during the heatwave, Kealy advised people to stay hydrated, wear sunscreen and to “try to avoid the midday sun”.
For information on how to be best prepared for the hot weather, visit the Be Summer Ready section on the Government’s website here.
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