Overnight water restrictions essential on the Lough Mourne Water Scheme
19 October 2022
High water demand in Lough Mourne Water Supply
Due to demand exceeding supply, water restrictions will be required over the weekend on the Lough Mourne Water Scheme Co Donegal. The areas impacted are Stranorlar Ballybofey, Raphoe, Convoy, Tievebrack, Gleneely and Ballynacor.
The restrictions will be in place between 10pm and 9am. The restrictions are required to give the reservoir time to replenish and is necessary during this off-peak time, as there is a possibility that there would be insufficient water supply to homes and businesses during daytime hours without some measures being put in place.
The vast majority of Uisce Éireann’s 750 water treatment plants continue to meet the demand for water supply. Uisce Éireann would like to thank members of the public for their responsible use of water and is asking everybody to continue to take some simple steps to conserve water to ensure supplies are healthy into late Summer and Autumn.
Uisce Éireann and Donegal County Council are closely monitoring water levels in a number of areas in the county and taking remedial measures to maintain normal supplies, however, the public is still being asked to assist by taking some simple steps to reduce their water use.
Seamus O’Brien of Uisce Éireann, said, “Uisce Éireann understands the inconvenience the restrictions will cause on the people in Stranorlar Ballybofey, Raphoe, Convoy, Tievebrack, Gleneely and Ballynacor, but it is necessary to maintain reservoir levels and ensure a sufficient water supply to homes and businesses during normal working hours.
“We would ask the public to continue to conserve water over the coming weeks. It can sometimes be difficult to know where to start, but even small changes can make a significant difference – and we can all play our part. By reducing the water used, for example turning off the hose and avoiding power washing, we can all help ensure there is enough water for everyone as we go through the rest of the Summer and into Autumn.
“To help people learn more about saving water we have developed an easy-to-use conservation calculator so they can work out how much water they are currently saving and how they can conserve even more. The free calculator is available on the Uisce Éireann website at www.water.ie/calculator where you can also find lots of useful water saving tips.
“We will continue to monitor the levels at all our supplies over the coming weeks and months and take any actions that may be necessary to maintain supplies, including communicating about localised issues as they arise.”
Members of the public can report any leaks in the public water network by contacting Uisce Éireann 24/7 at 1800 278 278 or on Report a Leak page.
There are a number of easy steps to reduce water usage during the hot weather, including:
- Avoid power washing and keep the garden hose in the shed
- Check for leaks on outdoor taps or troughs as these can lead to large losses of treated water
- Remember that paddling pools and swimming pools can use huge volumes of water so consider reusing the water for the garden or cleaning the car.
- Report any visible leaks on the public network to Uisce Éireann at water.ie or call 1800 278 278.
- Where householders experience very low flow or pressure, lower than neighbouring properties, they may have a service pipe leak. Uisce Éireann’s First-Fix-Free Scheme can help with the location and repair of external leaks. Details at water.ie or call 1800 278 278
Previous Updates
In order to maintain a daytime water supply, Uisce Éireann is advising customers in Stranorlar and Ballybofey that nighttime restrictions are essential.
As the dry weather continues so too does the high level of domestic, commercial and agricultural demand for treating drinking water on the Lough Mourne Water Supply which supplies both towns.
Working with Donegal County Council, Uisce Éireann is taking every measure to ensure that supply can keep up with the increased demand but in order to allow reservoir levels recover restrictions are essential overnight between 10pm and 9am until further notice.
Uisce Éireann’s Seamus O’Brien explained that demand on the Lough Mourne Water Supply remains high and he appealed to customers to continue conserving water.
“Uisce Éireann understands the inconvenience the restrictions will cause but it is necessary to maintain reservoir levels and ensure a sufficient water supply to homes and businesses during normal working hours.
“We are working with Donegal County Council to lift the nighttime restrictions as soon as possible but in the meantime, we are appealing to all customers on the Lough Mourne Supply and across the county to be mindful of how they use their water at home. Do not run taps needlessly, take showers instead of baths and postpone using dishwashers and washing machines where possible.”
There are a number of easy steps to reduce water usage during the hot weather, including:
- Avoid power washing and keep the garden hose in the shed
- Check for leaks on outdoor taps or troughs as these can lead to large losses of treated water
- Remember that paddling pools and swimming pools can use huge volumes of water so consider reusing the water for the garden or cleaning the car.
- Report any visible leaks on the public network on our Report a Leak page or call 1800 278 278.
- Where householders experience very low flow or pressure, lower than neighbouring properties, they may have a service pipe leak. Uisce Éireann’s First-Fix-Free Scheme can help with the location and repair of external leaks.
Further information on water conservation is available on our Water Conservation Section.
Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communications from us for planned and unplanned outages lasting more than four hours.
Uisce Éireann thanks customers for their patience while we work to restore normal supply to all customers. The Uisce Éireann customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on Twitter @IWCare with any queries.