Residents on Inis Oírr have been told today that overnight water restrictions, which were in place on the public water supply on the island throughout the summer months, have now been lifted.
Essential water restrictions were in effect nightly between 11pm and 7am this summer in order to conserve low water resources on the island.
Uisce Éireann has said the restrictions were in place to safeguard water supply on the island after a combination of sustained high demand, driven by increased visitor numbers, and low rainfall levels led to a significant reduction in treated water supplies.
“Water supply levels on Inis Oírr have recovered and are currently sufficient to ensure a continuous water supply,” said Leo O’Shea of Uisce Éireann today. “As a result, the overnight water restrictions have now been lifted. Uisce Éireann will continue to closely monitor supplies on all three islands and will provide updates as necessary.
“We acknowledge the inconvenience that can be caused by nighttime restrictions, and we would like to thank residents, businesses and visitors to the island for their conservation efforts during the period of the restrictions.”
Water-saving tips
The utility has provided some simple water-saving tips that everyone can follow, to help protect supplies.
• Leak free: Check that your home is leak free. Check for running overflows and fix any dripping taps, cisterns or pipes.
• Don’t let the tap run: Brushing your teeth with the tap running can use up to six litres per minute. Brushing your teeth with the tap off will use a more modest one litre of water.
• Shower vs bath: The average bath uses 80 litres of water, while a seven-minute shower uses just 49 litres. Switching to showers can save a significant amount of water.
• Drop the hose: Use a rose head watering can to water your plants, instead of a hose or sprinkler.
• Install a water butt: Use it to collect rainwater from your gutters for gardening or washing the yard.
• Drinking troughs: On the farm, watch out for overflowing drinking troughs as they can waste significant amounts of water. Adjust the ball valves to lower the float or replace faulty parts.
• Fully loaded: Always ensure your dishwasher and washing machines are fully loaded. A modern washing machine uses approximately 65 litres of water per cycle while a dishwasher uses 20 litres. By ensuring they are fully loaded, not only will you conserve water, but you will also reduce your energy bills.
• Don’t flush it all away: A third of all water used in the home is flushed down the toilet. Some larger cisterns can continue to work effectively with a smaller flush. Place a displacement device into the cistern (out of the way of moving parts ) to save water.
To access a water conservation calculator or find out more about water conservation tips, visit www.water.ie/conservation
