Uisce Éireann has today (Friday, September 12) issued a fresh nationwide appeal to people to "to conserve water through the autumn" despite the recent rainy weather.

Water Conservation Orders (WCOs) - or hosepipe bans as they are better known - are currently in place for three public water supplies in counties Meath, Westmeath, and Donegal.

According to Uisce Éireann, these are now set to be extended for a further four weeks until October 13.

These extensions apply to the following supplies:

Kells–Oldcastle, Co. Meath;
Mullingar, Co. Westmeath;
Milford, Co. Donegal.

The national water utility said it took the decision to extend the WCOs in these counties because of "continued monitoring which shows that water levels in the lakes supplying these areas remain critically low".

It said one of reasons for this is that the long-term effects of a dry autumn, winter, and spring – followed by the warmest summer on record - have left these sources "significantly depleted".

According to Uisce Éireann, lakes - like for example Lough Colmcille in Co. Donegal - are fed by underground springs or have small catchments and can take considerably longer to recharge than other sources - which means recovery will be slow even with wetter weather conditions.

Althought the hose pipe ban remains in place for three public water supplies in counties Meath, Westmeath and Donegal, Uisce Éireann has confirmed today that it will be lifted in counties Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford, and Cork on September 16 and will not be extended.

It said this is because "increased rainfall and stabilising demand" for water in these areas have reduced the critical risk to these water sources.

However, Uisce Éireann also issued a separate appeal today urging people across the country to "do their bit to conserve water".

Mairead Conlon from the national water utility said: "We know the public has made a huge effort over the summer to reduce their water use, and we’re very grateful for that.

"But even where hosepipe bans are being lifted, it’s important that people continue to use water wisely.

Uisce Éireann has suggested some "easy water-saving tips" for people to follow, including: 

Turn off the tap: Brushing your teeth with the tap running wastes up to 6L of water per minute;
Switch to a shower: Showers use about half the amount of water as baths;
Shorter showers: Turning your five-minute shower into four minutes, you could save up to 7L of water per day;
Fully load your appliances: Always ensure your dishwasher and washing machine are fully loaded before use;
Leave the hose in the shed;
Bucket and sponge for your car.