Currently there are water restrictions and recommendations for conservation measures in many counties in Ireland. With the heat and dry weather, water supplies are under pressure. In many areas there is very little ‘headroom’ (low excess supply capacity) and this results in strain on the supply system during dry weather or other such perturbance.
Water conservation has not been seriously considered to-date in Ireland. This week, the UK has made water labelling mandatory on water using devices such as dishwashers, washing machines, sinks, showers etc. This is to encourage people to select devices that minimise water use and will hopefully encourage manufacturers to make more water efficient devices. Such a measures is relatively easy to introduce and could be a first step towards water conservation and more sustainable water resource use in Ireland too.
Sustainable water resources underpin all societies and is essential for environmental health, economies and human well-being. A full press release issued on this topic is available here:
