Laois households urged to conserve water as heatwave hovers
Irish Water say demand for treated water can put pressure on supplies in Laois and other counties
Uisce Éireann has launched a water conservation campaign asking people in Laois to conserve and help protect and preserve water supplies by adopting simple water saving practices at home, in the garden and at work.
While most reservoirs, rivers and groundwater sources across the country recovered following a wet winter, the utility says warmer weather leads to increased demand for treated water, which can place pressure on water supplies across the country.
By taking some simple steps to conserve water at home, in the garden and at work, people can play their part in protecting local water supplies for themselves and their neighbours.
Below are some simple water-saving tips everyone can do to help protect supplies:
- Leak free: Check that your home is leak free - fix dripping taps, cisterns or pipes.
- Don’t let the tap run: Brushing your teeth with the tap running can use up to six litres per minute - tap off will uses one litre of water.
- Shower vs bath: The average bath uses 80 litres of water, while a seven-minute shower uses just 49 litres.
- Drop the hose: Drop the hose during the summer months. Use a rose head watering can to water your plants, instead of a hose or sprinkler.
- Install a water butt: Use it to collect rainwater from your gutters for gardening or washing the yard.
- Fully loaded: Ensure your dishwasher and washing machines are fully loaded. Washing machine uses about 65 litres of water per cycle while a dishwasher uses 20 litres. By ensuring they are fully loaded, not only will you conserve water, but you will also reduce your energy bills.
- Don’t flush it all away: A third of all water used in the home is flushed down the toilet. Some larger cisterns can continue to work effectively with a smaller flush. Place a displacement device into the cistern (out of the way of moving parts) to save water.
To access the water conservation calculator or find out more about water conservation tips, visit www.water.ie/conservation
Uisce Éireann’s Head of Water Operations, Margaret Attridge, explained that water use typically increases during warm spells due to higher demand for gardening, leisure activities and tourism.
“While reservoirs, rivers and ground water sources recovered earlier this year, that does not guarantee water security for all areas in the months ahead. Our water system continues to face challenges from rising demand, and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. Even where supplies are stable, a period of dry or warm weather can quickly place pressure on some areas. That’s why we’re reminding people that every individual water saving action counts and using only what you need really helps to make a positive contribution that can benefit everyone.
“A recent survey carried out for Uisce Eireann found that almost a third of people had no interest or awareness in water conservation. We’re committed to building greater understanding of, and respect for, our precious water resources and that’s why we are launching this campaign today.
“To support this, we have developed a suite of easy-to-use online resources, including a free water conservation calculator, which makes it easy for people to track their own and their family’s water use. The calculator, along with lots of simple water-saving tips, can be found at water.ie/conservation,” she said.
The appeal comes as almost a third of Irish people admit to being completely disengaged with any form of water conservation.