Water Conservation Order issued for Cork County to safeguard supply for essential purposes

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

Uisce Éireann has confirmed that a Water Conservation Order, commonly referred to as a hosepipe ban will be in place for Cork County from Saturday, 26 July 2025 until 16 September 2025.

The Water Conservation Order (WCO) has been issued in a bid to safeguard the water supply for essential purposes. Advertisements will appear in national papers on the 24 July 2025, in line with statutory requirements, outlining the prohibition of the use of garden hoses and other non-essential uses of water. This order applies to Cork County only and does not apply to Cork City.

A Water Conservation Order is only introduced if absolutely necessary. Conserving and reducing water consumption is these circumstances is critical to ensure continuity of supply.

The lack of rainfall over several months, combined with recent high temperatures and corresponding drought conditions have collectively caused a marked decrease in raw water availability and groundwater sources throughout the county.

The data tells us that rainfall in Cork County in May, June, and July this year to date has been significantly below average when compared to historical rainfall records. 164.5mm of rainfall was measured in Sherkin Island during this period compared to historical records of 227.9mm for the same period. At Roches Point weather station there was 131.7mm during this period compared to historical records of 205.9mm for the same period. That’s 28% and 37% less rainfall recorded locally.

In addition, there is an increase in domestic water usage, agricultural need and demand driven by peak tourism season.

Along with Cork County, Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford have also been issued with a WCO to reduce the potential of restrictions and outages over the coming weeks and months.

Brian O’Leary, Regional Water Operations Manager at Uisce Éireann, said: "Uisce Éireann's top priority is to protect water supplies for use in homes, businesses and essential services. While it may often feel like Ireland gets plenty of rain, the data shows the past 12 months have been unseasonably warm and dry. As a result, water sources across Cork County have not had their usual seasonal recharge, and we are now heading into the height of summer and tourism season, when we typically see a surge in demand, with lower-than-average water levels. By way of example, in West Cork we have had to tanker water to reservoirs in the Skibbereen / Leap and Goleen areas due to very low source levels combined with high demand.”

 “The introduction of this Order follows a series of measures that Uisce Éireann has put in place to safeguard supplies for essential purposes in recent months including increased efforts in leakage detection, pipe repair, overall network management and raising awareness of the importance of water conservation year-round with a public information campaign.“

"It is very clear from Uisce Éireann's data that warm weather creates a surge in demand for water. Such weather makes the use of hoses more likely for gardening, leisure and other purposes. However, using a hosepipe for one hour is the equivalent of the daily water usage of an average family and this is generally a non-essential use of water.”

 “We will continue to assess and monitor the river flows and groundwater levels and to analyse water consumption levels while the Water Conservation Order is in place.”

 "During this time, we are supporting and advising our commercial water users on water conservation and encouraging them to continue their efforts to avoid unnecessary use.”

 "There are lots of helpful tips for conserving water on our website, but the key messages are to leave the hose and the pressure washer in the shed; reuse household water for the garden; and take shorter showers. We are calling on everyone to play their part so we can maintain supply over the summer months." said Brian.

The Conservation Order prohibits the use of garden hosepipes and other non-essential uses of water by domestic users and commercial premises for non-commercial activities, for example watering gardens attached to a business premises.

To help people learn more about saving water Uisce Éireann has developed an easy-to-use conservation calculator so they can work out how much water they are currently saving and how they can conserve even more. The calculator is available on our conservation section where you can also find lots of useful water saving tips.

Members of the public can report any leaks in the public water network by contacting Uisce Éireann 24/7 at 1800 278 278 or on our website.