Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Shutterstock/siam.pukkato

Dublin hosepipe ban in operation and bans in other areas to be announced

Anyone found in breach of the ban could potentially face a fine of €125.

LAST UPDATE | 2 Jul 2018

A HOSEPIPE BAN is now in operation in the Greater Dublin Area as Irish Water makes an urgent appeal to the public to conserve water as much as possible.

This means activities such as watering gardens and washing cars are banned.

The ban is set to stay in place until 31 July, although it may need to be extended.

Irish Water has warned that further bans across the country will be announced in the coming week.

It’s expected that parts of Kilkenny, parts of Laois and parts of Limerick county will all  be designated for a hosepipe ban in the coming week.

People can be fined or prosecuted for wasting water, but that is not the approach the government plans on taking.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the best approach is to ask people to “do the right thing and be good citizens”.

However, anyone found in breach of the ban could potentially face a fine of €125.

Speaking on Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio 1 the managing director of Irish Water Jerry Grant said, “The reality is we rely on community and peer pressure because we can’t enforce our way to proper water management.

“At the end of the day enforcement procedures are there and we have the powers to take action when there’s flagrant abuse of water but that’s all we can do.

“All of those powers are there and at the end of the day, we’ll use them when we have to but we don’t have the resources to police water use.

When it was put to Grant that Irish Water is depending on people “snitching on their neighbours”, he said: “Most people are law abiding and there is a strong community pressure here to conserve water because at the end of the day we’re talking about people losing supply of there isn’t responsible behaviour across the board.”

He added that the hosepipe ban was “ultimately about drawing people’s attention to the fact that this is now very critical.

It’s going to go on for weeks and months because the reality is water depletion in our rivers and lakes and our ground water is going to take weeks, and maybe months to recover.

“It’s really important that we conserve the water now and that we maintain that discipline in the months ahead.”

1976 drought 

The weather has been dry since late February this year with Met Éireann reporting that the level of rain that has fallen is on par with 1976 when a major drought was in place.

Two status yellow weather warnings remain in place – an advisory warning for the entire country as little or no rain is forecast over the coming weeks and a high temperature warning for Munster, Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan, Galway, Leitrim and Roscommon.

As it stands more than 100 water supplies are at risk due to high consumption.

Irish Water says water must be conserved to safeguard scarce water resources for the remainder of the summer and into the autumn.

The utility has 39 water supplies under night-time water restrictions. It’s also tankering water from larger schemes to top up reservoirs where levels are falling.

Grant said, “We’re working at the edge of what we can do to keep supplies going.

Not too many people have been cut off yet but that is coming unless we can get the demand back down to levels that are sustainable from the sources that we have.

Irish Water has a nationwide update on the water shortages available on its website.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people were left without water in Kerry last night after a water main burst in the centre of Killarney.

Irish Water and Kerry County Council said they hoped supply would be restored this morning.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
68 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute mamaise
    Favourite mamaise
    Report
    Aug 25th 2014, 11:19 AM

    Pharma cliff?? a friend of mine has to take tablets following an operation for the rest of his life, they cost €190 per month, he found them in Spain for €10, and of course his medical card was revoked. So now himself & the wife go to Spain twice a year to SAVE money! The Irish people are just sick of getting robbed by their own government.

    Get rid of the pension levy that was unfairly applied to one section of tge work force & reduce the USC or petrol costs next, give people a chance to get back up on their feet again

    84
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute HARRY MARKOPOLOS
    Favourite HARRY MARKOPOLOS
    Report
    Aug 25th 2014, 11:34 PM

    Amen.
    Ulster Bank (the UK’s very own Irish Nationwide) are only trying to talk up their Celtic Tiger Ponzi Scheme loanbook, just so that they can try and hawk the whole bank to some halfwit hedge fund.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Coady
    Favourite John Coady
    Report
    Aug 25th 2014, 11:46 AM

    I love when these so called experts make these fascinating predictions cause when they get it horrible wrong it makes them look great!!! They know and i know economics does not work!!! Its all on credit nd nobody gives two sh***!!!!

    36
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Taxi Bill
    Favourite Taxi Bill
    Report
    Aug 25th 2014, 11:16 AM

    We are f****d so!

    34
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute SeanieRyan
    Favourite SeanieRyan
    Report
    Aug 25th 2014, 11:44 AM

    For most of the last century this would be called healthy growth for a western economy.

    In the dystopian Euro zone it is however a boom, growth of any kind is such a distant memory for people in the Eurozone and EU that some even talk about this being a return to Celtic Tiger growth.

    For most of Europe 3% growth will not return for many years to come.

    Stagnation and decline are the legacy of the Euro.

    28
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Chris Mansfield
    Favourite Chris Mansfield
    Report
    Aug 25th 2014, 11:54 AM

    While Eurozone monetary policy isn’t helping I feel that people are underestimating the effect of demographic change on Eurozone growth.

    For most of the last century, European countries had expanding workforces and an expanding population. Few have that nowadays and some are even shrinking. That makes a comparison with growth rates in other parts of the world impractical.

    In fact, most of Europe has seen anaemic growth for 30 years or so, long before the Euro came into existence.

    Unfortunately, it takes 30 years to solve a birthrate problem, even if you can figure out how to do it.

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ahippo
    Favourite Ahippo
    Report
    Aug 25th 2014, 2:03 PM

    A far more cogent explanation than that of Seanie FFryan

    6
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ryan Ash
    Favourite Ryan Ash
    Report
    Aug 25th 2014, 6:59 PM

    And Ireland, with the youngest population in Europe, in well placed compared to greying Germany and France – among others.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Alan O'connor
    Favourite Alan O'connor
    Report
    Aug 25th 2014, 11:48 AM

    And the complainers and whingers are out of the blocks quickly. Have to stifle any good feeling. How will the Sinners be elected otherwise?

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sam Bartell
    Favourite Sam Bartell
    Report
    Aug 25th 2014, 12:14 PM

    And to whose standards are you comparing these alleged “sinners”? God, budda, allah, the ever mystical purple sky monkey?

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Norman Hunter
    Favourite Norman Hunter
    Report
    Aug 25th 2014, 12:23 PM

    Alan yet you are nearly always one of the first to whinge about whingers,amazing isn’t it.

    21
    See 5 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Norman Hunter
    Favourite Norman Hunter
    Report
    Aug 25th 2014, 12:24 PM

    “Sinners” surely you meant “shinners” they are the group you’re obsessed with.

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Griska
    Favourite Griska
    Report
    Aug 25th 2014, 12:33 PM

    There’s an article on this site about increasing numbers of children going to school hungry.
    So I’m not buying any of this sh!t.

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
    Favourite Neal Ireland Hello
    Report
    Aug 25th 2014, 12:56 PM

    The state if the economy has no bearing on whether or not parents get their act together and feed their kids.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
    Favourite Neal Ireland Hello
    Report
    Aug 25th 2014, 12:56 PM

    *of

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Griska
    Favourite Griska
    Report
    Aug 25th 2014, 3:07 PM

    Really? You don’t link disadvantage to hunger?
    Do you think teachers in prosperous areas are bringing breakfast in for their pupils?

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ahippo
    Favourite Ahippo
    Report
    Aug 25th 2014, 11:25 AM

    Seeing as how we have such a terrible government I wonder who should get the credit for this – I know Sinn Fail and Fianna Fein. Let’s vote them into power at the election !

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Alan O'connor
    Favourite Alan O'connor
    Report
    Aug 25th 2014, 3:54 PM

    Yes I meant Shinners. And while not obsessed I certainly don’t want them anywhere near power in the country I live in. Which is why any economic good news is always welcome as it undermines their constant negativity in pursuit of votes.

    Thanks for playing.

    4
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds