Uisce Éireann extends hosepipe ban for Mullingar water supply
The Water Conservation Order for the Mullingar Regional Public Water Supply is to remain in place for another four weeks, until 13 October.
The Conservation Order was issued in early May in a bid to safeguard the water supply for essential purposes.
The supply is sourced from Lough Owel and serves over 50,000 customers across a large area of County Westmeath.
Uisce Éireann made the decision to extend the conservation order as continued monitoring shows that the lake level remains critically low.
Despite recent rainfall, the long-term effects of a dry autumn, winter and spring, followed by the warmest summer on record, have left Lough Owel significantly depleted.
Lough Owel is fed by underground springs and can take considerably longer than other sources to recharge meaning recovery will be slow, despite recent wetter weather conditions.
Throughout the spring and summer, Uisce Éireann operational teams have worked intensively to maintain supply by repairing leaks and managing pressure in the network.
Those efforts, together with the local community supporting conservation appeals, have helped to stabilise supply, but the risk of water supply disruption remains high.
Fionnuala Callery, regional technical operations manager with Uisce Éireann, said: “We know the public have made a huge effort over the late spring and summer to reduce their water use, and we’re very grateful for that.
“Even though we are seeing a return to cooler, wetter weather, it will take several weeks or even months for Lough Owel to fully recover. If the people of Westmeath supplied from the lake continue to play their part by conserving water and avoiding unnecessary use, we can reduce the potential of restrictions and outages going forward.”
Water saving tips
• Turn off the tap: Brushing your teeth with the tap running wastes up to six litres of water per minute. Turning it off while brushing can reduce that to just one litre.
• Switch to a shower: Showers use about half the amount of water as baths. Invest in water saving appliances such as water efficient taps and shower heads.
• Shorter showers: With the average shower using seven litres of water per minute by turning your five-minute shower into four minutes, you could save up to seven litres of water per day!
• Fully load your appliances: Always ensure your dishwasher and washing machine are fully loaded before use. A typical washing machine uses approximately 65 litres of water, and a dishwasher uses around 20 litres per cycle. By ensuring they are fully loaded, not only will you conserve water, but you will also reduce your energy bills.
• Leave the hose in the shed: Drop the hose and use a rose head watering can to water your plants instead of a hose or sprinkler. Running a hose for just one hour uses as much water as a family would typically need in an entire day.
• Bucket and sponge for your car: Using a bucket and sponge to wash your car can save hundreds of litres of water compared to using a hose or power washer.
For more information on water conservation and to access our Water Conservation Calculator, visit water.ie/calculator.
Areas supplied by the Mullingar Regional Water Supply (Lough Owel)
Mullingar Town and surrounding areas
Ballynacargy
Moyvore
Ballymore
Moate
Moyvoughley
Streete
Rathowen
Lismacaffrey
Crookedwood
Multyfarnham
Bunbrosna
Rathconrath
Killucan
Raharney
Coralstown
Kinnegad
Milltownpass
Tyrrellspass
Dalystown
Kilbeggan
Ballinagore
Gaybrook
Dysart
Horseleap
Castletown Geoghegan