ALERT: Water supplies in Waterford 'at high risk of' of drought level amid warning to locals

Uisce Éireann is appealing to everyone in Waterford to be mindful of their water use as the warm dry spell looks set to continue through the weekend and into next week.

This appeal comes as over 22 supplies nationwide are officially in drought status.

Uisce Éireann is closely monitoring all supplies in the county. In particular, the Ballylaneen Water Supply Scheme serving Kill, Ballylaneen, Annestown, and Bunmahon, and the Ballymacarby Water Supply Scheme serving Ballmacarbry and the Nire are at high risk of moving to drought status.

Uisce Éireann continues to maintain everyday supplies through interventions such as tankering to reservoirs, nighttime restrictions, and pressure management.

"By taking some simple steps to conserve water at home, in the garden and at work, everyone in Waterford can play their part in protecting the water supplies for their community," Uisce Eireann said.

These include:

• Leave the hose and power washer in the shed and use a watering can for the garden. Running a hose for one hour uses the same amount of water as a family need for a full day.

• If you need to wash your car, use a bucket and sponge instead of a hose or power washer.

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• Don’t let the tap run: Brushing your teeth with the tap running can use up to a staggering 6 litres per minute. Brushing your teeth with the tap off will use a more modest 1 litre of water

• Shower vs. Bath: The average bath uses 80 litres of water compared to an average shower using 49 litres in seven minutes. Switch your bath to a shower for a massive water saving

• Less time: With the average shower using 7 litres of water per minute by turning your five-minute shower into four minutes, you could save up to 7 litres of water per day!

• Fully loaded: Always fully load your dishwasher and washing machines. A modern washing machine uses approximately 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

Fionnuala Callery, Uisce Éireann's regional Technical Operations Manager, said that while the current sunny spell is very welcome, it has led to an increase in water use across the country.

“Levels in many water sources are significantly lower than normal for this time of year following a dryer-than-average autumn, winter, and spring. On top of this, the recent spell of warm weather has increased demand across many of our supplies, putting further pressure on the network and reservoirs.

“We’re doing everything we can to protect and maintain supplies as we go through the summer, but we are also asking the public to help by doing what they can to reduce their use. If everyone in Waterford takes a few simple steps to reduce the volume used around the home and garden, we can make our water go further and help maintain normal supplies.”

To help people learn more about saving water, Uisce Éireann has developed an easy-to-use conservation calculator. The calculator allows users to work out how much water they are currently saving and how they can conserve even more. The calculator is available at www.water.ie/calculator, where there are also lots of useful water-saving tips.

Members of the public can report any leaks in the public water network by contacting Uisce Éireann 24/7 at 1800 278 278 or on water.ie