Uisce Éireann has confirmed that a hose pipe ban – otherwise known as Water Conservation Order – now extends to all of Waterford City and County from one minute past midnight on Friday, 24 July to Wednesday, 26 August 2026.
The Order prohibits the use of a hosepipe or similar apparatus for activities such as watering a garden, cleaning a private motor vehicle, cleaning a private leisure boat, filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool, filling or maintaining a domestic pond, excluding fish ponds, and filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain, except where required for commercial purposes.
The ban, which also extends nationwide, was introduced to help protect public water supplies now, and in the months ahead, for homes, businesses, farms, hospitals, vulnerable customers and essential services.
The recent hot weather predicted to continue, combined with low rainfall, is driving exceptionally high demand and intensifying pressure on water sources and treated drinking water supplies. Uisce Éireann continues to take all measures to keep water flowing by maximising production, repairing leaks, tankering water and operating the network to minimise outages and protect supplies.
In recent weeks, Uisce Éireann introduced a number of measures in Co Waterford to maintain and protect supplies, including enhanced leakage repair works, pressure management, and public water conservation campaigns, in an effort to reduce demand to sustainable levels.
Uisce Éireann would like to thank customers across Waterford for their continued water conservation efforts.
The extended Order will apply to all households and is being extended because raw water sources in many areas around the country are coming under increasing pressure following a prolonged period of exceptionally hot and dry weather. Met Éireann’s extended range forecast indicates that temperatures are expected to remain above average and rainfall below average in the period ahead. Several groundwater sources are now showing signs of stress, with reduced or no yields being experienced in a number of areas. In other areas such as parts of the Greater Dublin Area, and popular visitor destinations around the coast, supplies remain under pressure due to high water usage, which often outstrips production capacity.
Uisce Éireann also asks the public to report any leaks they see on the public network which may be visible in the dry conditions by contacting Uisce Éireann at 1800 278 278 or on Uisce Éireann (formerly Irish Water) | Water Utility | Uisce Éireann
Customers can also use Uisce Éireann’s online water calculator to better understand their household water use and identify simple ways to save water every day Water Calculator | Conservation | Uisce Éireann (formerly Irish Water)
Further updates and water conservation advice are available at water.ie/conservation.
