Appeal to Wexford public to conserve water ahead of Fleadh festivities

Information below is relevant until further updates are provided here or on our Supply and Service Updates section

With over 700,000 people expected to descend on Wexford town over the coming week for the 2025 Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, Uisce Éireann are appealing to homes and businesses across the county to take practical steps to reduce their water consumption and to avoid unnecessary water use.

A combination of reduced rainfall, spells of high temperatures and increased demand over recent months have seen raw water supplies across Wexford being significantly lower than normal for this time of year, leading to the implementation of a Water Conservation Order for Wexford last week.

With demand set to increase significantly over the next two weeks, Uisce Éireann are reaffirming their appeal to the people of Wexford to help play their part in protecting essential water supplies and to conserve water where possible in order to ensure the Fleadh is an enjoyable and welcoming experience for all.

Fionnuala Callery, Regional Technical Operations Manager for Uisce Éireann, paid tribute to the local population for their efforts to date and asked for continued support over the coming days while the water supply remains under pressure.

“Water plays a vital role in our everyday lives, and by making small changes to use only what we need in our homes, gardens, and businesses, we can all contribute to ensuring a sustainable water supply for everyone.

“Last year, ahead of the hugely successful Fleadh 2024, Uisce Éireann completed the Mayglass Water Supply Project to ensure resilience to the water supply in South County Wexford. We installed over 3.5km of new water mains taking raw water from two boreholes; located near St Fintan’s Church and at Mulrankin, to Mayglass Water Treatment Plant. This ensured there was an adequate supply for the Fleadh while also enabling further growth in the region.”

Fionnuala also commended the efforts locally in preparation for this year’s festivities. Paying tribute to the leakage detection and repair crews in Wexford she tells us:

“In the first six months of 2025, we repaired 397 leaks across Wexford, resulting in massive savings across the county. Uisce Eireann has also employed the use of specialised detection equipment called Acoustic Noise Loggers to identify the exact locations of the water loss on the underground public network. The state-of-the-art technology uses acoustic noise that is more sensitive than the human ear to listen for leaks, with over 1500 of these being deployed across the county- 600 of these in Wexford town. However, conservation is a combined effort. It is important to double down our efforts to reduce demand given the pressures on local supplies.

“Water demand always increases with an influx of tourists and visitors. This year more visitors are expected for the Fleadh as people are set to enjoy a week of traditional music and culture. We are asking people across Wexford to play their part and think about water conservation.”

Some easy water-saving tips include: 

• Leave the hose in the shed: Drop the hose during the summer months. Use a rose-head watering can to water your plants instead of a hose or sprinkler. Running a hose for just one hour uses as much water as a family would typically need in an entire day.
• Bucket and sponge for your car: Using a bucket and sponge to wash your car can save hundreds of litres of water compared to using a hose or power washer.
• Turn off the tap: Brushing your teeth with the tap running wastes up to six litres of water per minute. Turning it off while brushing can reduce that to just one litre.
• Switch to a shower: Showers use about half the amount of water as baths. Invest in water-saving appliances such as water-efficient taps and shower heads.
• Shorter showers: By turning your five-minute shower into a four-minute one, you can save up to seven litres of water per day.
• Fully load your appliances: Always ensure your dishwasher and washing machine are fully loaded before use. A typical washing machine uses approximately 65 litres of water, and a dishwasher uses around 20 litres per cycle. By ensuring they are fully loaded, not only will you conserve water, but you will also reduce your energy bills.

More information can be found at water conservation.

The public can report any leaks in the public water network by contacting Uisce Éireann at 1800 278 278 or online at Report a Leak.  

Uisce Éireann has a free text service, providing real-time updates for local issues. Customers can sign up with their Eircode and mobile number at the text alerts page.