Appeal to conserve water amid 'unsustainable' usage

Uisce Éireann appeals to conserve water amid 'unsustainable' usage

Updated / Friday, 19 Jun 2026 08:35

The recent hot spell saw record volumes of water used in a single day in Greater Dublin

Uisce Éireann has urged households across the country to help conserve water in the coming months, saying demand can quickly increase as temperatures rise.

It said that while most reservoirs and ground water sources have recovered following a wet winter, recovery does not guarantee water security for all areas in the months ahead.

It said during last month's hot spell, water usage in the Greater Dublin Area reached a record 685 million litres in a single day - 43m litres, or 6.7%, above the year-to-date average of 642m litres - a situation the utility described as "unsustainable".

A survey commissioned by Uisce Éireann found that nearly one third of Irish people admitted that they paid little attention to water conservation issues.

The survey of 1,003 adults, conducted by Ipsos/B&A for Uisce Éireann during the first quarter of 2026, found that 31% described themselves as being "unengaged" when asked how much attention they normally paid to conserving water.

Uisce Éireann said that it is continuing to monitor supplies across the country

The company said despite record investment in water infrastructure to increase resilience and capacity, it needs the public to do its share to preserve treated water.

Uisce Éireann listed several tips for people to reduce their water use, highlighting that people should check to make sure their home is free of leaks; reduce the use of a hose in favour of a watering can; have showers instead of baths, and do not let taps run.

Uisce Éireann’s Head of Water Operations Margaret Attridge explained that water use typically increases during warm spells due to higher demand for gardening, leisure activities and tourism.

"While reservoirs, rivers and ground water sources recovered earlier this year, that does not guarantee water security for all areas in the months ahead. Our water system continues to face challenges from rising demand, and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns."

Ms Attridge said that Uisce Éireann has built an online resource for people, including a conservation calculator, to track their water use.

Uisce Éireann said that it is continuing to monitor supplies across the country and is taking proactive measures in a small number of areas to limit interruptions to water supply.

The utility said that while significant progress has been made, challenges remain in parts of the country due to the age and condition of some infrastructure, especially during peak demand periods.

Uisce Éireann Asset Strategy Manager Mairéad Conlon said the issue is the demand on water treatment plants, which have been operating at full capacity for many years.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, she said that while there has been a reduction in leaks at water treatment plants - down from 49% in 2014 to 35% last year - it is a significant challenge to maintain it at that level.

Ms Conlon said raw water supplies are "quite healthy" across the country following the winter period, but pressure remains on water treatment plants, which is why the utility is urging people to be mindful of the amount of water they use.