Signsthatincreasedwaterusage isputtingsuppliesunderpressure

IRISH WATER has revealed that water supplies across the county are beginning to come under pressure, with the company recording a 20-percent increase in domestic water usage since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic.

This after new domestic metering data collected by Irish Water has shown that households have been using an average of 24 litres of extra water per person daily since the lockdown came into effect in mid-March.

While the company says the situation is a long way from the drought of two years ago, it has said the marked increase in water usage could put huge pressure on the supply network when the county eventually reopens for business.

Irish Water said the temporary closure of businesses has somewhat helped offset the increase in domestic demand. However, with more people now staying at home, increased domestic demand, which accounts for two-thirds of their business, is putting the network under increasing pressure.

“In addition, when Government restrictions are lifted, many commercial premises will need to use extra water to clean and flush their plumbing systems and storage tanks or to complete deep cleans, while water usage in homes will continue to remain higher than normal,” said the company.

The company’s lead official in Cork, Neil Smyth, said the combination of fine weather and this increased domestic demand was beginning to have an impact on sources and reservoirs here.

“Areas throughout the county will come under pressure, including the Clonakilty Regional Water Supply in west Cork, on the Charleville supply and Newmarket Regional scheme in the north of the county to the Youghal Water Supply Scheme in the east and possibly many others in between,” said Mr Smyth.

“We would ask all households and businesses in operation to help maintain public water supplies across the county by conserving water where it’s possible to do so, whilst continuing to follow all health guidance. Our website details the many ways in which we can all contribute to conservation.”

While the increase in hand-washing has played a major part in the domestic demands, Irish Water has said other factors have also come into play, chief among them an increase in the use of power washers.

They have urged people to take a few simple measures to reduce demand such as not using power hoses or ordinary garden hoses, taking showers over baths and fixing leaking taps where possible.

Information for homes, business and farms, including a guide to how much water these measures can save, is available at www.water. ie/conservation.

Irish water MD Niall Gleeson said that while it was vitally important people followed HSE guidelines on hand-washing it was “essential that we act now to protect our supply and safeguard our water for essential usage”.