Uisce Éireann have confirmed that there is currently 47 schemes across Ireland in a state of drought status.

With relatively good weather recently, Met Éireann has recorded as little as 4.2mm of rain in some places for the month of August so far, while Uisce Éireann have said some areas are under "active management to maintain supply levels".

The semi-state water services company told Agriland that water conservation orders are currently in place for counties Waterford, Tipperary, Wexford and Cork (excluding Cork City).

Mullingar in Co. Westmeath, Milford in Co. Donegal, and Kells-Oldcastle in Co. Meath are also all under water conservation orders.

In addition to these, Uisce Éireann said sections of counties Clare, Galway, Laois, Limerick, Mayo, Monaghan and Offaly are all experiencing drought as well.

Uisce Éireann has implemented a number of measures to maintain and protect these supplies in these areas such as enhanced leakage repair works, tankering to reservoirs, pressure management and public water conservation campaigns.

The semi-state company highlighted that the majority of Ireland's public water supplies are still meeting demand across approximately 700 supplies in Ireland.

However, with dry forecasts foreseeable for the near future in many parts of the country, Uisce Éireann is urging the public to be mindful of water use irrespective of whether their supply is covered by a Water Conservation Order or not.

The water services have said it is monitoring all of its raw water, including lakes, rivers, springs, and ground sources that feed its water treatment plants.

Uisce Éireann has appealed to farmers in particular to conserve water, offering a range of advice in doing so.

Simple little things make a big difference, such as ensuring that taps or hoses are not left running, as well as fixing any leaks or equipment such as automatic shut-off valves according to the semi-state company.

Similarly, farmers have been reminded to fix any water troughs that may be leaking or overflowing. According to Uisce Éireann, simply checking the tanks valves and ball cocks may be sufficient.

Another way to save water in droughts is to use equipment such as scrapers and brushes rather than hosing down yards.

If water is required for jobs such as cleaning yards, farmers have being advised to consider using rainfall harvesting techniques to do so.

Dairy farmers are being reminded to divert the water from the plate cooler to a tank for use in parlour washings, while tillage farmers are being advised to irrigate crops ideally at night when evaporation levels are low.