Essential nighttime restrictions introduced in Co Galway to protect daytime supplies

Information below is relevant until further updates are provided here or on our Supply and Service Updates section

Uisce Éireann is renewing its appeal to customers across County Galway to make all efforts to conserve water wherever possible, as continued high demand places severe pressure on treated water supplies.

Nighttime restrictions are being introduced on some public water supplies in the county, in areas in which demand continues to outstrip supply of treated water. These areas are:

• Athenry, Clarinbridge, Kilcolgan and Ballinderreen – nighttime restrictions will come into effect from tonight (Wednesday) on supplies serving these areas. Restrictions will be in effect from 9pm to 7am.
• Leitir Móir, An Cnoc and Tír an Fhia – nighttime restrictions were introduced last night in these areas and will remain in place until further notice. Restrictions are in effect between 11pm and 7am.
• Inis Oírr – nighttime restrictions will come into effect from tomorrow night (Thursday, 16 July) on Inis Oírr from 11pm until 6am and will remain in place until further notice.

These nighttime restrictions are essential to allow treated water levels in the reservoirs to recover, in order to ensure a full and continuous daytime supply for homes, businesses and essential services in these areas.

In addition to the areas in which nighttime restrictions are required, a number of other public water supplies are also operating at or close to maximum capacity, and customers on these supplies are encouraged to be mindful of their water usage over the coming days while the warm weather continues.

These include supplies in An Spidéal, Crois na Tulaí, Leitir Fraic and Baile Conaola in Conamara, and Williamstown and the Mid-Galway supply to the east of the county.

Tony Kelly of Uisce Éireann appealed to customers on these supplies to limit their water use to essential needs.

“We continue to experience extremely high levels of demand on supplies right across the county,” said Tony. “Reservoir levels of treated water have been unable to keep up with this increased demand and as a result, we are introducing nighttime restrictions in some areas in order to protect daytime supply," said Tony.

"We acknowledge the inconvenience that can be caused by nighttime restrictions, and we wish to thank impacted customers for their understanding. We also wish to encourage customers to take some simple steps which can significantly reduce usage and help to protect supply for the community.”

Customers are encouraged to be alert to signs of leaks on their property, such as persistent damp patches on lawns or driveways. Uisce Éireann’s First Fix Free scheme provides a free repair for qualifying underground leaks on private property once identified. To report leaks on the public water network, customers can contact Uisce Éireann’s 24/7 helpdesk at 1800 278 278 or visit our Report a Leak page.

Below are some simple water-saving tips everyone can follow, to help protect supplies:  

• Leak free: Check that your home is leak free. Check for running overflows and fix any dripping taps, cisterns or pipes.
• 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: The average bath uses 80 litres of water, while a 7-minute shower uses just 49 litres. Switching to showers can save a significant amount of water.
• Drop the hose: Drop the hose during the summer months. Use a rose head watering can to water your plants, instead of a hose or sprinkler.
• Install a water butt: Use it to collect rainwater from your gutters for gardening or washing the yard.
• Drinking troughs: On the farm, watch out for overflowing drinking troughs as they can waste significant amounts of water. Adjust the ball valves to lower the float or replace faulty parts.
• 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
• Don’t flush it all away: A third of all water used in the home is flushed down the toilet. Some larger cisterns can continue to work effectively with a smaller flush. Place a displacement device into the cistern (out of the way of moving parts) to save water.

To access the water conservation calculator or find out more about water conservation tips, visit the Conservation section of our website.