Uisce Éireann urges customers in South Leitrim to continue to conserve water

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

Uisce Éireann is urging customers across South Leitrim to continue efforts to conserve water and protect supply. 

Following an increase in water usage by households and businesses, coupled with water main bursts in Keshcarrigan and Ballinamore earlier this week, customers are being asked to be mindful of their usage, allow supply to catch up with demand and enable reservoirs to fully replenish. 

High usage can lead to pressure reductions which can impact the supply to customers. The South Leitrim Regional Water Scheme, which supplies customers in Ballinamore, Keshcarrigan, Drumshanbo, Carrick-on-Shannon, Mohill and Carrigallen, is already experiencing increased demand. Customers can help reduce that demand by adopting simple water saving practices at home, in the garden and at work.

Speaking about conserving water, Uisce Éireann’s Anthony Skeffington said: “There has been a noticeable increase in water demand across the South Leitrim areas in recent weeks. With the current spell of warm weather we are continuing to ask customers across the county to conserve water to give the reservoirs time to replenish. Any reduction that customers can make in their usage can collectively result in significant supply improvements for all homes and businesses.”

Anthony added: “It’s 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 more simple ways to conserve water, check out the Uisce Éireann conservation calculator (www.water.ie/calculator) which can help people work out how much water they are currently using and how they can conserve even more. 

Below are some easy water-saving tips: 

• 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: With the average shower using seven litres of water per minute by turning your five-minute shower into four minutes, you could 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 on water conservation can be found at https://www.water.ie/conservation/ 

Members of 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’s customer care team is available 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on X @IWCare with any queries. For further updates, visit the service and supply section of www.water.ie

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.