Irish Water has officially announced a hosepipe ban in a bid to conserve water supplies.
The six-week ban will come into effect from 00.01am on Tuesday and will be valid until Tuesday, July 21.
The National Water Conservation Order is being issued following on from Ireland's hottest May since 1850, according to Met Eireann.
Current data shows a spike in water usage on very sunny days.
And the water chiefs say this level of demand cannot be accommodated in the coming weeks given the current pressures on the water sources.
Niall Gleeson, Managing Director of Irish Water, says: “Irish Water’s top priority during the current dry period is to protect our water supply for use in homes and businesses and for essential sanitation during the Covid-19 crisis.
"As demand continues to outstrip supply and the dry weather looks set to continue, Irish Water has taken the extra step of implementing a Water Conservation Order.
“It is very clear from Irish Water’s data that that warm weather creates a surge in demand of water.
"Such weather brings people into their gardens and makes the use of hoses more likely.
"Similarly with children confined to home, it can be tempting to use paddling pools etc., however, using a hosepipe for one hour is the equivalent of the daily water usage of an average family and this is evidently a non-essential use of water."
Here are the eight things you can't do with a hosepipe or similar apparatus from Tuesday onwards:
- water a garden
- clean a private motor-vehicle using a domestic hosepipe
- clean a private leisure boat
- fill or maintain a domestic swimming or paddling pool (except when using hand held containers filled directly from a tap)
- fill or maintain a domestic pond (excluding fish ponds)
- fill or maintain an ornamental fountain (with the exception of such use for commercial purposes)
- fill or replenishan artificial pond, lake or similar application.
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