Irish Water and Mayo County Council are asking for people in Achill to conserve water as an influx of visitors to the area has led to drinking water demand outstripping availability.
Ger Greally, Irish Water operations lead for Mayo, said: "Unfortunately due to the recent influx of visitors to Achill, the amount of drinking water being used on the island is greater than the volume of water which can be produced at the plant at Acorymore. We are urging all consumers at this time to be mindful of their use due to the impact this is having on customers on higher grounds.
"We are keeping the situation under continuous review and are working closely with Mayo County Council. We are working hard to ensure there is water available for all customers across the island but this is proving more difficult to sustain.
"At this point we are aware that there are certain areas experiencing low water pressure and intermittent water outages. In the event that the level of water consumption we are currently experiencing does not decrease, some areas may suffer from prolonged water shortages. This would mean that water would have to be brought in by tanker, which is a situation we are keen to avoid.
"All customers and visitors to the area are asked to conserve water where possible to avoid water shortages. Customers should have up to 24 hours’ storage of treated water in their attics and they are urged to continue to follow the HSE Covid-19 guidance on hand-washing.
"Irish Water continues to work at this time with our local authority partners, contractors, and others to safeguard the health and wellbeing of staff and the public and to ensure the continuity of drinking water and wastewater services."
The latest updates on this restriction will be available on the supply and service section of the Irish Water website at https://www.water.ie. The Irish Water customer care helpline is open 24/7 and customers can call it on (1850 ) 278 278.
