1.2 million people to be hit by water restrictions
84-year old man becomes first confirmed victim of Storm Emma as water crisis mounts
FREEZING night-time temperatures will make driving conditions treacherous in the coming days as widespread water restrictions have been imposed which could potentially last for months.
Met Éireann has warned temperatures will plunge as low as -3C by night.
The sub-zero temperatures have forced Irish Water to impose restrictions across 16 counties, including Dublin and parts of Wicklow, Meath and Kildare, which could affect 1.2 million people.
Irish Water managing director Jerry Grant painted a gloomy picture of nighttime restrictions running into weeks or months as the utility struggles to repair the ageing network.
In Dublin, demand was 12pc above available production capacity, and the situation was compounded by the loss of 30 million litres of potential supply from the Vartry Plant in Wicklow due to an algae bloom.
“We won’t know until we get out on the ground how long the battle will be. My sense is we’re talking weeks if not months,” he said.
Meanwhile, an 84-year old man found lying in the snow outside his home in Co Carlow has become the first known victim of Storm Emma. The man, named locally as John Mahoney, died after slipping near his home in the village of Nurney.
LARGE parts of the country remain on high alert with fears of flooding after snow melts, treacherous road conditions and widespread water restrictions being imposed – which could potentially run into weeks.
An 84-year-old man found lying in the snow outside his home in Co Carlow has become the first known victim of Storm Emma, as emergency bosses are now concerned that freezing night-time temperatures could present additional hazards.
The elderly man, named locally as John Mahoney, was heard calling for help on Sunday morning after he slipped near the entrance of his home in the village of Nurney. He was rushed to hospital in Kilkenny, but died a short time later.
An orange warning remains in place across Leinster until at least this morning, with concerns that a combination of deep snow and a thaw causing localised flooding will pose risks, along with potential for frost and icy night-time conditions.
“Temperatures will recover a little more,” Met Éireann forecaster Joan Blackburn said.
“They will be in the region of 4C to 7C (during the day) but that is cold for this time of year.”
She added the mercury could fall as low as -3C at nighttime under clear skies, adding: “We’re looking at a fixed picture for the next few days.”
While forecasters are still assessing the level of snow which fell, one local weather station in west Wicklow recorded 67cm over the last week.
The sub-zero temperatures have forced Irish Water to impose restrictions across 16 counties including Dublin and parts of Wicklow, Meath and Kildare which could affect more than 1.2 million people.
The utility has water tankers in 16 locations across the country, with 20 in Gorey, Co Wexford, which was badly affected.
Wexford county councillor Malcom Byrne said some parts of the county had been without water for three days.
Irish Water managing director Jerry Grant painted a gloomy picture of night-time restrictions running into weeks or months as the utility struggles to repair the ageing network.
In Dublin, demand was 12pc above available production capacity, and the situation was compounded by the loss of 30 million litres of potential supply from the Vartry Plant in Wicklow due to an algae bloom.
“It’s a very difficult position,” he told the Irish Independent. “We won’t know until we get out on the ground how long the battle will be.
“My sense is we’re talking weeks if not months.
“We believe cast iron pipes are fracturing due to small ground movements, and the bursts are happening gradually.
“We’re used to managing Dublin on tight margins. The
(new supply) is vitally urgent, I cannot overstate that.”
While some 5,000 households and businesses remain without broadband and telecommunications, the ESB said power had been restored to all affected customers – but warned of problems in the weeks ahead as crews completed permanent repairs.
The HSE has said the health service will take two weeks to return to normal, but people are asked not to contact hospitals about scheduled appointments.
Tom McGuinness, of the Emergency Management and National Ambulance Service, asked people to be patient as normal service is resumed.
Amid expectations of overnight frost in many parts of the country, gardaí have asked motorists to continue to be cautious and in particular to be vigilant for pedestrians who may step off the footpaths in a bid to avoid ice.
Garda Chief Superintendent Aidan Reid also made a plea to drivers who abandoned cars during the heavy snow to collect them as soon as possible “as these vehicles are now causing disruption during the recovery phase”.
The Defence Forces have now deployed 1,566 personnel and 506 vehicles since the weather alert began last week, with the focus of their operations now to enhance mobility on secondary roads in Wexford, Wicklow and Kildare.
Additional troops were being deployed as needed.
An orange warning remains in place across Leinster – with a fear of local flooding from melt-water