Hosepipe Ban Aids Water Supply Restoration in Ireland, Uisce Éireann Reports

Ireland's nationwide hosepipe ban is already proving effective in restoring drinking water supplies, Uisce Éireann, the water utility, has reported. Mairéad Conlon, senior manager for asset strategy, stated that the ban is crucial for alleviating pressure on the utility's reservoirs.

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Our treated water storage reserves are now starting to recover and hopefully we will soon be able to reduce the output capacity of our water treatment plants down to sustainable and safer levels.

The Water Conservation Order, which came into effect nationwide on Friday, had previously been in place for the Greater Dublin Area and parts of Wexford, Wicklow, Meath, Kildare, and south Tipperary. A month prior, daily water demand in the Greater Dublin Area averaged around 670 million liters, exceeding the sustainable output capacity of 650 million liters. This gap was managed by increasing treatment plant capacity and utilizing treated water storage. Since the order's implementation, demand has dropped below the sustainable output level.

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That's really what the Water Conservation Order targets. That additional usage, which meant much of it is non-essential. So that's the watering of a garden, using the hose pipe to water your garden and to power wash.

"Our treated water storage reserves are now starting to recover and hopefully we will soon be able to reduce the output capacity of our water treatment plants down to sustainable and safer levels," Ms. Conlon said. Uisce Éireann notes that warm weather typically increases domestic water usage by about 20%, primarily for non-essential activities such as watering gardens and power washing.

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For power washing it [the order] has had a big impact. We've lost about 30-40% of our business from his hosepipe ban for power washing because people don't want to be seen to be using hosepipes even though we are exempt.

While businesses using hosepipes for commercial purposes are exempt, some, like window cleaning company WeWashWindows.ie, have still felt an impact. Owner Christopher Lockyer reported a 30-40% loss in power washing business, as customers are hesitant to use hosepipes publicly, even with exemptions. He noted that customers are postponing power washing jobs until after the ban, which is set to end in late August, due to social pressure from neighbors. Over 50 Uisce Éireann supplies are currently under nighttime restrictions.

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It's Ireland and nobody wants to be looked down upon by their neighbours.