As demand in the Greater Dublin Area has risen by over 20 per cent compared with usual levels for this time of year, a six-week hosepipe ban will apply from 12.01am on Thursday, 16 July, to 11.59pm on Wednesday, 26 August. The order covers Dublin, South Tipperary, and parts of Kildare, Meath, Wexford, and Wicklow.
The ban targets all non-essential hosepipe use, including watering gardens, washing cars, filling domestic swimming pools, and topping up ornamental fountains or ponds. Limited exceptions apply, such as filling small pools using hand-held containers.
Uisce Éireann said the decision was made due to rising demand rather than a shortage of winter reserves, but it warned that smaller rural supplies and areas with limited storage could become stressed if dry weather continues. The order may be extended or expanded to other areas if rainfall does not improve.
Daily water demand in the Greater Dublin Area has reached 693 million litres, more than 50 million litres above the typical level for this time of year.
Met Éireann has issued Status Yellow high-temperature warnings for Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Galway, and Mayo, with additional counties expected to be included as the hot weather continues. Dry, sunny conditions are likely to persist through the weekend and possibly into next week, with temperatures widely reaching the mid to high 20s. Warm nights may add to pressure on public health and water supplies.
Breaching the water conservation order can result in a fine of up to €5,000. Uisce Éireann will operate a hotline for reporting breaches, although it has never been used and no prosecutions have occurred. Uisce Éireann asset strategy manager Mairéad Conlon said the hotline and fines are intended to encourage water conservation rather than to punish people for breaching the hosepipe ban.
In addition, Uisce Éireann is asking households, businesses and farms nationwide to reduce non-essential water use by taking shorter showers, checking for leaks, reusing household water where possible, and avoiding hosepipes and power washers. The utility emphasised that small changes can make a meaningful difference while the water system is under unusual pressure.
