Dubliners urged to save water as supplies run ‘critically low’

WATER supply in the greater Dublin area has reached ‘critically low’ levels amid ‘unprecedented’ demand, prompting Uisce Éireann to urge the public to reduce its use.

Daily demand for water in the Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow hit record levels of 630million litres per day this week.

As a result, Uisce Éireann – formerly Irish Water – has asked the people to cut down on use and report any burst pipes.

Increased economic activity has seen demand for water exceeding the capacity of the water treatment plants in the region.

‘This simply means that more water is being consumed every day than the capital’s water treatment infrastructure is capable of producing,’ the service said in a statement.

‘Storage in the city’s treated water reservoirs is also approaching critically low levels.’

The appeal follows an extensive programme of work by Uisce Éireann and water services crews across the region to detect and repair bursts and leaks across the network, with a large increase reported in recent weeks.

Margaret Attridge, Uisce Éireann’s head of water operations, said: ‘This week, daily demand in the greater Dublin area was the highest on record, reaching over 630million litres per day. This is an increase of 40million litres more than this time last year – the equivalent daily use of almost 120,000 homes.’

She said water was a precious resource that must go through a complex treatment process to ensure it is safe to drink. Some localised nighttime restrictions have been introduced to enable leak detection and repair work, and to help manage reservoir levels.

The public is being asked to check their homes, business premises or unoccupied premises for leaks and get them fixed. They are also being asked not to leave taps running and fix any dripping taps inside or outside their properties, and be mindful of water use in their businesses and look for opportunities to make savings.