Main pic: Water levels at Lough Colmcille, which supplies the Milford area, remain under severe pressure.
Uisce Éireann has announced an extension of the Water Conservation Order on the Milford Regional Public Water Supply.
The order will now remain in effect for an additional seven weeks, until Monday, August 4. The order only applies to customers supplied by the public water supply in Milford, Kerrykeel, Ramelton, and not the rest of the county.
While recent weeks have brought cooler and wetter weather, the water levels at Lough Colmcille (which supplies water to the Milford area) remain under severe pressure.
Water levels at the lake remain lower than previously recorded at this time of year (see mian pic). It is expected, based on the typical trend for this time of year, that water levels will decrease for the summer period. It is considered that significant levels of rainfall over a prolonged period of time are required for this source to recover.
Forecasts also indicate a likely return to warmer, drier weather from next week, which could further increase demand and place additional strain on an already stressed supply.
Uisce Éireann’s Water Network Operations Manager for Donegal, Damien O’Sullivan, said their top priority is to protect our water supply for use in homes, businesses and essential services.
“I’d like to thank the communities in Milford, Ramelton and Kerrykeel for adhering to the Water Conservation Order and urge them to continue to adhere to the order over the next seven weeks,” he said.
“We appreciate, too, the efforts of the public in reporting leaks to us and continuing their efforts to conserve water. Despite this collective effort and the recent rainfall in the area, Lough Colmcille remains under severe pressure and water levels in the lake remain lower than usual for this time of year. This is due to significantly reduced rainfall over the past six months, combined with a noticeable increase in water demand in Milford over the past couple of years as a result of growth in the area.
“While it may often feel like Ireland gets plenty of rain, the data shows we’ve experienced an unseasonably warm and dry autumn and winter. As a result, Lough Colmcille has not had its usual seasonal recharge, and we are now in the summer months with lower-than-average water levels.”
In response, Mr O’Sulllivan added, they have increased their efforts in leakage detection, pipe repair, and overall network management.
“We have taken a number of steps to reduce demand and we are continuing to supplement Milford from nearby supplies to allow for Lough Colmcille to replenish. Due to this, there has been a 40% reduction in abstraction from Lough Colmcille since last October. We have also deployed extra resources to finding and fixing critical leaks in the water network and conducted a public information campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of water conservation year-round.”
The Water Conservation Order prohibits the use of garden hosepipes and other non-essential uses of water by domestic users and commercial premises for non-commercial activities. This measure is essential to safeguard water supplies for homes, businesses, and essential services.
Key Tips to help you conserve water
- Leak free: Check for running overflows and fix any dripping taps, cisterns or pipes
- Drop the hose: use a watering can to water your plants instead of a hose or sprinkler
- Don’t let the tap run: Brushing your teeth with the tap running can use up to a staggering 6 litres per minute. Brushing your teeth with the tap off will use a more modest 1 litre of water
- Shower vs Bath: Showers ùse up to half the amount of water as baths
- Less time: With the average shower using 7 litres of water per minute by turning your five minute shower into four minutes, you could save up to 7 litres of water per day!
- Fully loaded: Always ensure your dishwasher and washing machines are fully loaded. A modern washing machine uses approximately 65 litres of water per cycle while a dishwasher uses 20 litres. By ensuring they are fully loaded, not only will you conserve water but you will also reduce your energy bills
- Keep it cool: Keep a jug of water in the fridge instead of running the cold tap; this can save up to 10 litres a day
- Find out how much water your family uses and how to improve it by checking out our conservation calculator at www.water.ie/calculator.
Tags:
