IRISH WATER AND the local authorities in the Greater Dublin Area are urging customers to conserve water where possible as demand for drinking water reaches record levels over the Christmas period.

The current increase in demand over the last few weeks is higher than any previous year and is 10 million litres a day higher than this time last year, according to Irish Water.

The situation is made worse by the issues at the Leixlip Water Treatment Plant – which led to two boil water notices issued in the past two months.

Water production capacity has been reduced as work goes on at that plant which is currently undergoing upgrades. Further upgrades are ongoing in Stillorgan and Vartry which are due to be completed in 2020, Irish Water said.

Actions to conserve water that are recommended include turning off the tap when brushing your teeth and shaving, and keeping a jug of water in the fridge instead of running the cold tap.

Irish Water’s John O’Donoghue said: “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.