SPRAY..AND YOU’LL PAY
Householders warned of arrest if they break new month-long hosepipe ban
BREAKING a month-long hosepipe ban could result in ARREST, householders were warned yesterday.
Up to two million people in the Greater Dublin Area have been barred from filling paddling pools, watering the garden and washing the car.
Kate Gannon of Irish Water said: “It is essential our resources are conserved.”
Gardai can arrest people if they believe an offence has been committed.
A MONTH-LONG ban on using a hosepipe will come into force in the Greater Dublin Area on Monday – affecting 1.9 million residents.
Irish Water announced the move yesterday as the country baked once again in temperatures of more than 30C, hotter than Barcelona.
The blistering heatwave and dry spell has seen demand for water outstrip supply in several areas with some facing a potential drought.
In Dublin, usage has soared and was yesterday running 6% above normal at 607 million litres.
While Irish Water said it can currently produce up to 610 million litres per day, it added: “At these levels all headroom is exhausted and the sources, particularly Pollaphuca Reservoir on the Liffey, is being drawn down at a rate that puts supplies at risk later in the summer.”
Customers in counties Waterford, Galway, Kerry, Westmeath and Offaly are experiencing restrictions.
And Met Eireann has warned there is no sign of any persistent rain over the next 10 days with only occasional showers forecast which “won’t be enough to restore water levels”.
The Drought Orders come into force for a month on Monday throughout the capital and are expected to be applied across the country soon afterwards.
They will ban the use of hosepipes when:
■ watering a garden
■ washing a family car
■ cleaning a private leisure boat
■ filling an ornamental fountain
■ filling a domestic swimming or paddling pool, and
■ filling a domestic lake or pond – excluding fish ponds.
More than 100 local water schemes across counties Carlow, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Mayo, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford and Wicklow have been identified as “at risk”.
Irish Water said it is working with local authorities and will continue to monitor these facilities to decide if further Drought Orders are needed.
Corporate affairs manager Kate Gannon said: “Imposing a Water Conservation Order is a measure Irish Water now considers appropriate.
“It is essential our water supply resources are conserved if we are to avoid restrictions and outages over the coming weeks and months. The legislation actually requires us to there is an urgent need for the Water Conservation Order and that it can only be applied where and when it is necessary.
“Therefore we are considering such orders on a scheme by scheme basis.”
Tankers have been mobilised across the country to fill reservoirs considered most at risk in order to protect supplies and ensure customers have access to water.
The highest temperatures yesterday ranged from 27C to 30C – with the hottest recorded in the western half of Ireland.
Met Eireann’s Elizabeth Coleman revealed it will be dry and warm again today with the mercury dipping slightly to between 26C and 28C in the Midlands and the West.
It will be cooler along the eastern coast with temperatures ranging from
22C to 24C.
The forecaster said there will be some cloud and showers in the southwest and “maybe parts of South Leindemonstrate ster and South Connacht” tomorrow and Monday but elsewhere there is very little precipitation expected.
She added: “Rainfall amounts will be quite low. It’s not going to be enough to restore water levels.
“We don’t have any indication in the next five days of a good rainfall. It’s just isolated showers in southwestern parts of the country.
“What we have is these showers coming up and skirting along the south of the country.
“But we don’t have any indication of any Atlantic regime coming in within the next 10 days.”
»»gardens, car wash, paddling pools & ponds covered by ban »»drought orders in capital could expand across ireland