Farmers – as well as the general public – have been asked to conserve water where possible by Irish Water, given the prolonged spell of dry weather that has been forecast by Met Eireann.

In several areas around the country where water supplies were already under pressure, warm weather has exacerbated this situation, it added.

Water supplies and demand are being monitored around the country on a daily basis by Irish Water’s Drought Management Team.

Already some areas in Athlone, Kilkenny and north Dublin have experienced outages and restrictions, while areas in Donegal and Mullingar have been identified as being at risk, a statement from Irish Water explained.

Meanwhile, the company added that demand has risen to “concerning levels” in the Greater Dublin Area; on Friday last (June 22), the amount of water used in the area was very close to the limit of sustainable production.

Commenting on the ongoing situation, Irish Water’s corporate affairs manager – Kate Gannon – outlined that if demand does not decrease, then homes and businesses on the edge of the network in the Greater Dublin Area will start to experience shortages.

“The longer this continues, the more people will be at risk of shortages and outages. Irish Water’s Leakage Reduction Programme has teams are on the ground now but we also need the public’s support to reduce their water usage.

“The top three measures that people can take are: not using a hose to water the garden or wash cars; keeping paddling pools very shallow if they are being used; and taking short showers rather than baths.”

Our Drought Management Team is monitoring the situation daily across the country – but if everyone can take these simple steps, it will help us to manage supply and demand.

“This is a very serious situation and we are seeking the public’s help. Every effort the public make to conserve water will benefit them and their community,” Gannon said.