IRISH Water has lifted the Water Conservation Order that was put in place in West Cork on August 30th, but reservoirs are still being topped up in some areas.
The order was issued for four weeks to safeguard water for essential purposes.
When it was issued, many West Cork water supplies were critically low following a record-breaking dry spell during the summer. Nationally, 50 of Irish Water’s 720 drinking water schemes were in drought.
From a water supply perspective over the past number of weeks there has been a return to normal rainfall levels. This has resulted in the recovery of some of the water supplies that were in drought or at risk of drought. While the overall numbers are trending downwards, the situation is not uniform and the recovery of some sources is very fragile. There are some rural supplies which still require ongoing support in the form of tankering directly to reservoirs to maintain levels. These include Drinagh, Roberts Cove and Coppeen.
Niall O’Riordan of Irish Water said: ‘It is really important that the public continues to exercise good household habits at this time and conserve water, regardless of rainfall. Any non-essential use of water should be avoided, whether we are in a drought or not.’
