Night-time water restrictions that have been in place over in Clonakilty have now been lifted. Restrictions were in place due to a high demand for water, combined with low rainfall levels. Uisce Éireann and Cork County Council wish to thank the people of Clonakilty for their patience during the restrictions and especially for their efforts to conserve water.

Uisce Éireann and Cork County Council will continue to monitor reservoir levels to determine if further restrictions are required.

Speaking about conserving water, Uisce Éireann’s Regional Operations Lead Niall O’Riordan said:

“The night-time restrictions in Clonakilty were necessary to give the reservoirs time to replenish and allowed us to maintain water supply to homes and businesses during daytime hours.

If we see another prolonged dry spell combined with high demand, it may be necessary to impose further water restrictions. I would again ask that everyone in Clonakilty, and West Cork in general, continue to play their part by helping conserve water, especially during the summer months.

It is important that we all consider our water usage and look at simple yet impactful ways to conserve water. It can sometimes be difficult to know where to start, but even small changes can make a significant difference, for example, turning off the hose, avoiding power washing and checking for leaks on outdoor taps.

For more simple ways to conserve water check out the Uisce Éireann website where our conservation calculator (www.water.ie/calculator) can help people work out how much water they are currently saving and how they can conserve even more. We are also encouraging the public to report any visible leaks on the public network via our website at www.water.ie or by contacting 1800 278 278.

We will continue to monitor the levels at all our supplies over the coming weeks and months and take any actions that may be necessary to maintain supplies, including communicating about localised issues as they arise.”

Uisce Éireann is responsible for delivering public drinking water and wastewater services for the people of Ireland. We are committed to enabling communities to thrive by continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support sustainable growth and development, providing safe drinking water, and enhancing the environment. To find out more visit www.water.ie

WATER SAVING TIPS

At Home:

• Take a shorter shower
• Fix dripping taps or leaking toilets in your home
• When brushing your teeth or shaving, turn off the tap and save up to 6 litres of water per minute
• Minimise the amount of water used in paddling pools
• If you need to wash your car, use a bucket and sponge instead of a hose
• Report any external leaks to Uisce Éireann at 1800 278 278. No leak fixes itself and every leak gets progressively worse. The escaping water can weaken the ground or cause slippery footpaths and roads. The leaking water reduces the supply pressure for adjacent properties. What looks like a small leak at the surface can be using the equivalent to 20-30 households.

In the garden:

• Save and reuse water collected from baths, showers, and hand basins in the garden
• In the garden use a rose head watering can instead of a hose and aim for the roots
• Consider installing a water butt to collect rainwater – this can then be used for watering the garden during dry weather
• Do your watering in the evening, when it won’t evaporate
• Pots and containers need lots of water to prevent drying out, so plant directly into the ground as much as possible
• Another good tip is to add a layer of plant material, like bark, to your flower bed to prevent evaporation and reduce the need for watering

On the Farm

• Fix troughs – 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.
• Dry cleaning: Save water when cleaning the yard by using dry-cleaning techniques. Use scrapers and brushes to remove solid waste from yards and pens before hosing. You can also use a small amount of water (e.g. one bucket) to pre-soak waste before cleaning.
• Clean plate cooler water: If you own a dairy farm, you can divert clean plate cooler water to a tank and use it for parlour washing
• Consider Rainwater Harvesting – rain from the roofs of farm buildings can be used for a variety of activities such as washing down yards. Consider the level of rainwaterquality required for specific water uses on the farm (e.g. plant nurseries and field irrigation) and the surfaces and contamination risks before you consider installing approprite rain water harvesting, treatment (filtration and UV) and storage systems.
• Take action to protect water sources: Avoid contamination of surface waters by reducing or eliminating access to livestock by fencing off watercourses. Pollution containinganimal faeces can affect the water environment, nutrients and soil. Destroyed bankside vegetation can also contribute to flooding.
• There are lots more water saving tips for farmers on our website at https://www.water.ie/conservation/business/take-action/agriculture/
• Uisce Éireann, as one of the leading water utilities in this space, has a first-of-its-kind dedicated water stewardship programme where we work with businesses to help themunderstand and reduce their water use. Find out more at water.ie/businessconserve with advice for a range of industries including hospitality, manufacturing, agriculture and small businesses.

More information on water conservation can be found at https://www.water.ie/conservation/