Dubliners told how to avoid potential water shortage over Christmas period

Dubliners have been asked to make every effort possible to conserve water over the Christmas period in order to avoid a potential shortage.

Irish Water have appealed to Dublin residents to conserve water over the coming weeks as demand reaches record levels. Following a steady increase in the use of drinking water in recent weeks, demand is set to hit record levels over the festive period. Residents of the Greater Dublin Area have been asked to employ simple water conservation methods such as turning off the tap while brushing teeth and shaving, which can save up to six litres of water every minute. As well as this, Irish Water are urging customers to keep a jug of water in the fridge rather than running the cold tap, which can save up to 10 litres per day. The current increase in water demand is higher than it has been in previous years at 10 million litres a day and in order to avoid restrictions this Christmas, Irish Water are asking customers to help them manage demand while they replace filters and upgrade the facilities at Leixlip Water Treatment Plan. Speaking about the water supply in the Greater Dublin Area, John O Donoghue of Irish Water, said: "Irish Water is appealing to the public to conserve water where possible and to only use what they need. We’ve seen demand creeping up in recent weeks and there is currently no headroom in the system. "Safe, clean, treated water is not in unlimited supply and we all have to play a part in conserving it. During the drought last year, the conservation measures that people were taking in their homes and businesses helped to significantly reduce demand. However, when the urgency of a drought passes, and in the middle of winter, it is easy to lose focus on how precious water is. "Our priority is to maintain the water supply and to avoid placing restrictions and in order to do this we need the public’s support."