Irish Water urges the public in Dublin to choose handwashing over powerwashing as domestic water usage increases

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. This is in line with water utilities in the UK who have reported a similar increase.

Non-domestic water usage has decreased with many businesses, construction sites, schools, colleges, gyms, hotels, bars and restaurants temporarily closed. This reduction in demand has helped to off-set some of the domestic demand, however as domestic demand represents two thirds of our business, our water supply is still under pressure.

In addition, when Government restrictions are lifted, many commercial premises will need to use extra water to clean and flush their plumbing systems and storage tanks or to complete deep cleans, while water usage in homes will continue to remain higher than normal.

As water treatment plants are already working to their maximum capacity, Irish Water is appealing to the public in Dublin to prioritise handwashing over powerwashing and conserve water now where they can, so that together we can meet the increased demands on our network when restrictions are relaxed for businesses.

There are some simple measures that the public can take including stopping the use of powerwashers at home; using a watering can rather than a hose in the garden; taking showers over baths; and fixing any dripping taps where it is possible to do so. There is advice and guidance for homes, businesses and farms, including information on how much water you can save with simple measures on water.ie/conservation.

Speaking about the need to conserve water, Irish Water’s Regional Operations Manager John O’Donoghue 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.”

• Irish Water is progressing with works across the GDA that will help to build resilience in the water supply across the region. Irish Water is adhering to government and HSE guidance on restarting construction activities in compliance with stringent Covid-19 controls. The safety of Irish Water staff, local authority staff and contractors working on our behalf remains our priority.
• Irish Water Irish Water is progressing with works at the old Leixlip Water Treatment Plant in order to safeguard the water supply for homes and businesses in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA).  Works are being carried out in compliance with covid-19 measures. The upgrade works are being carried out as quickly and as safely as possible whilst maintaining a safe drinking water supply to the GDA. Works to upgrade the filters are scheduled to be completed in August 2020 and further works, including the provision of UV disinfection will also be completed this year.
• To further support supply into the future Irish Water is also currently upgrading the Vartry Water Supply Scheme by building a new treatment plant in Vartry, and upgrading the treated water reservoir at Stillorgan, these upgrades are due to be completed in 2021. As part of the scheme we completed a new Vartry to Callowhill pipeline in 2019, securing the water supply for more than 200,000 people in north Wicklow and south Dublin.  All these works represent an investment of approximately €200 million in the Vartry scheme, which will secure the drinking water supply for the area for decades to come.
• Irish Water and Fingal County Council have recently connected a new 6km water main from Jordanstown to Balbriggan improving the security of supply for 24,000 customers in Balbriggan and surrounding areas. These works are being undertaken alongside works in Howth and Malahide worth an overall investment of almost €22 million investment in Water Supply Schemes across Fingal.
• Irish Water has constructed 1400m of new water mains on the Rush Road in Skerries in order to improve the security of supply to homes and businesses in the area. There are 600m of water main left to install in the area of the junction of Shenick Road/ Rush Road. Construction is scheduled to commence in the coming weeks.
• Along with our Local Authority partners across the GDA, Irish Water is also fixing leaks and upgrading the water supply system. As part of our leakage reduction programme, Irish Water has replaced almost 90km of water mains in the Greater Dublin Area since 2018, which is the equivalent of two M50s.

In the coming weeks we will be installing 200m of new water mains in Temple Bar and almost 200m in Knocklyon to reduce leakage from the network in Dublin. Additionally Irish Water has mobilised crews across the GDA to find leaks and carry out repairs as quickly and as safely as possible. This find and fix activity is already underway in across Dublin and North Wicklow.