Irish Water is appealing to people to conserve water when they can. They have confirmed that there has been a significant increase in household water usage with people adhering to government advice and staying at home since mid-March in response to the Covid-19 crisis.
New domestic metering data has revealed that households are using an additional 24 litres of water per person per day, a 20% increase from February. As water treatment plants are already working to their maximum capacity, Irish Water is appealing to the public to prioritise handwashing over power washing and conserve water now where they can.
Speaking about the need to conserve water, Niall Gleeson, Managing Director of Irish Water said “It is really important that everyone follows the HSE guidance on handwashing, however there are some ways to conserve water that will not impact on hygiene. Insights from meter reads show that households are now using 20% more water and we can see a significant change in water usage patterns in commuter belt towns and rural areas where significant numbers of people would usually be out of the house for long periods during the day. We are also conscious that we have had an extremely dry spell so we are continually monitoring our water sources for any signs of drought.”
“In Irish Water, we are continually looking at what we call the supply / demand balance. This means that we need to ensure that we can supply more treated drinking water than is required for use. We can manage this by conserving water; losing less by repairing leaks; and supplying smarter by ensuring that all of our plants are working optimally.”
“We can all work together to conserve and to ensure emergency leaks are being repaired at this time by our Local Authority and other partners. But in line with government restrictions to protect us all from the spread of Covid-19 other work has been postponed. It is essential that we act now to protect our supply and safeguard our water for essential usage.”
Useful Tips to Help Consere Water
There are some simple measures that you can take including:
1. Stop using power washers at home for cosmetic purposes
2. Use a watering can rather than a hose in the garden
3. Taking showers over baths – Shower’s typically uses less than 25% as much water.
4. Get any leaky fittings fixed
5. Use a bucket to clean windows and cars Hosepipes waste 10 times more water per clean.
6. Don’t let the tap run By turning off the tap when brushing your teeth can save up to 7,000 litres of water.
For tips on how to conserve water, visit the Irish Water website.