Uisce Éireann working to restore water supply to majority of customers in South Leitrim this evening

Uisce Éireann is working to restore a normal water supply to communities in South Leitrim following a mechanical issue at Carrick-on-Shannon Water Treatment Plant. 

Customers in Drumshanbo, Ballinamore, Keshcarrigan, Fenagh, Killyvehy, Cloone, Gortletteragh and surrounding areas are experiencing a disruption to their supply today. 

However, Uisce Éireann is hoping to return supply to the majority of customers this evening. The remainder of customers should have supply restored by tomorrow morning, Tuesday, 15 July. 

However, in order to maintain a daytime supply, nighttime restrictions will be in place from 11pm each night to 7am the following morning for the coming days. 

Uisce Éireann’s Paul Kelleher thanked customers for their patience while crews work to return a water supply and encouraged them to conserve water where they can. 

““There has been a noticeable increase in water demand across the South Leitrim areas in recent weeks which has put pressure on our supply. This coupled with a number of leaks and a mechanical issue at the plant last night (Sunday) has put further pressure on our reservoir levels. 

“We are asking customers across South Leitrim to continue their efforts to conserve water and give our reservoirs time to replenish. Any reduction that customers can make in their usage can collectively result in significant supply improvements for all homes and businesses.”

Alternative water supplies are available in Drumshanbo at The Food Hub and Mulvey’s Hardward, at Ballinamore Square and at McNamee’s Garage in Killyvehy. There will also be an alternative supply at Foxfield Church, Fenagh from 6pm this evening. 

Customers are reminded to bring their own containers when taking water from the tankers and to boil water before consumption as a precautionary measure, per HSE advice.  

For simple ways to conserve water, check out the Uisce Éireann conservation calculator (www.water.ie/calculator) which can help people work out how much water they are currently using and how they can conserve even more. 

Below are some easy water-saving tips: 

• Leave the hose in the shed: Drop the hose during the summer months. Use a rose head watering can to water your plants instead of a hose or sprinkler. Running a hose for just one hour uses as much water as a family would typically need in an entire day.
• Bucket and sponge for your car: Using a bucket and sponge to wash your car can save hundreds of litres of water compared to using a hose or power washer.
• Turn off the tap: Brushing your teeth with the tap running wastes up to six litres of water per minute. Turning it off while brushing can reduce that to just one litre. 
• Switch to a shower: Showers use about half the amount of water as baths. Invest in water saving appliances such as water efficient taps and shower heads.
• Shorter showers: With the average shower using seven litres of water per minute by turning your five-minute shower into four minutes, you could save up to seven litres of water per day.
• Fully load your appliances: Always ensure your dishwasher and washing machine are fully loaded before use. A typical washing machine uses approximately 65 litres of water, and a dishwasher uses around 20 litres per cycle. By ensuring they are fully loaded, not only will you conserve water, but you will also reduce your energy bills. 

More information on water conservation can be found at https://www.water.ie/conservation/ 

Members of the public can report any leaks in the public water network by contacting Uisce Éireann at 1800 278 278 or online at Report a Leak 

Uisce Éireann’s customer care team is available 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on X @IWCare with any queries. For further updates, visit the service and supply section of www.water.ie

Uisce Éireann has a free text service, providing real-time updates for local issues. Customers can sign up with their Eircode and mobile number at the text alerts page.