Irish Water says issues affecting supply in Clare will continue to persist without a prolonged period of heavy rainfall.
Water systems across the county have been holding steady in recent weeks but are a long way off recovering from the unprecedented dry weather this summer.
The Tulla supply is now the only one experiencing nighttime restrictions, while people in Lahinch, Lisdoonvarna, Doolin, Liscannor, Ballyvaughan and Kilfenora are being urged to be sensible with their water usage.
Irish Water’s Operations Lead for Clare Duane O’Brien says despite recent weather, it still hasn’t rained enough:
Statement From Irish Water
Irish Water is reminding customers throughout Clare to continue to conserve water as much as possible, as water levels on many schemes remain extremely low. As a result of the ongoing dry spell, demand is exceeding supply in many areas and the sources for these water supply schemes are coming under increasing pressure.
We are particularly appealing to customers in the Ennistymon area supplied by the Ballymacraven Water Supply Scheme, to make every effort possible to conserve water, as water levels on this scheme are low.
In North Clare, pressure management remains in place in Lahinch, Lisdoonvarna, Doolin, Liscannor, Ballyvaughan, Kilfenora and surrounding Group Water Supply schemes.
In East Clare, water restrictions will continue from 10pm to 6am in Tulla. This restriction is required to conserve the borehole supply servicing Tulla and surrounding areas. We are working with Clare County Council to develop another borehole source which, if viable, could supplement the existing supplies.
Irish Water and Clare County Council are continuing to monitor water sources across the county and reviewing possible alternative water sources. A big emphasis is being placed on finding and fixing leaks to reduce any water losses through the network.
We are asking the local community to help in terms of checking for internal leaks within the home and fix any dripping taps or leaking toilets. If people notice any leaks in the area, please notify Irish Water at 1850 278 278 or via the website www.water.ie, so that they can be fixed.
Irish Water this week launched a public information campaign on the importance of continuing to conserve water. The average person uses 129 litres of water a day. However, new research shows that over 50% of those surveyed under-estimate average daily personal water usage by half.
While recent rainfall has led to a slight recovery in water levels in surface water sources (rivers and streams), it will take sustained rainfall over many weeks and even months to fully replenish raw water levels in rivers, lakes and groundwater sources and treated drinking water levels in our storage reservoirs. In the meantime we all have a role to play in conserving water. Simple steps like taking a short shower instead of a bath, turning off taps and fixing leaks in outside taps or farm troughs all help to make a difference. We are also reminding people to report any leaks they see in the public network by calling 1850 278 278 or on the Irish Water website
Any measures taken to reduce consumption, no matter how small, will help in terms of replenishing water supplies.
We would like to thank the communities and businesses in these areas for every effort they are making to reduce their water consumption at this time.
For more water conservation tips please see https://www.water.ie/conservation/
