Essential night time restrictions to be introduced for Erris region

Uisce Éireann is advising customers on the Erris Regional Water Supply Scheme that night time restrictions will come into effect from tonight (Monday) in order to safeguard a continuous daytime supply of treated water.

Ongoing high demand for treated water has placed production capacity under severe pressure. These restrictions will alleviate pressure on the network and ensure a full daytime supply of treated water for homes, businesses, and essential services in the Erris region.

The night time restrictions will come into effect tonight and will be in place between the hours of 10pm and 6am. The restrictions will remain in place until the end of the week and will then be reviewed.

The restrictions will affect customers across the Erris RWSS in areas including Derrycorrib, Doohoma, Blacksod, Glenamoy, Rossport, Carrowteige, Kilgalligan, Inver, Pulathomas, Briska, Bellacorrick, Keenagh and Glencullen.

Please note that this is not a water outage. Customers will continue to have water through the period of the restrictions, but it will be at lower pressures and reduced flow rates.

Colette Scahill of Uisce Éireann said that these measures are essential in order to protect daytime supplies of treated water. “Demand remains at a high level in the Erris region, and our ability to produce enough treated water to meet that demand is being challenged. These nighttime restrictions will relieve some pressure on the treatment capacity of the plant and help us to maintain a normal supply during daytime hours”, Colette says.

“We wish to thank customers across Erris for their understanding as we implement these measures, and to again ask customers around Mayo to be mindful of their water usage.”

Uisce Éireann also reminds customers that the nationwide Water Conservation Order remains in place to protect supplies of treated water.

Below are some simple water-saving tips everyone can follow:

• Leak free: Check that your home is leak free. Check for running overflows and fix any 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. Brushing your teeth with the tap off will use a more modest one litre of water.
• Shower vs. Bath: The average bath uses 80 litres of water, while a seven-minute shower uses just 49 litres. Switching to showers can save a significant amount of water.
• 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.
• Drinking troughs: On the farm, watch out for overflowing drinking troughs as they can waste significant amounts of water. Adjust the ball valves to lower the float or replace faulty parts.
• Fully loaded: Always ensure your dishwasher and washing machines are fully loaded. 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.
• 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.