AS the country slowly returns to normal after the harsh Storm Eowyn – thousands of homes are left with no water supplies due to power outages.
Uisce Eireann has issued an urgent warning for all householders to be mindful of their water usage.
Thousands of people are experiencing loss of supply due to power outages, which may increase as reservoir levels drop.
Approximately 120,000 people across the country have no water this lunchtime due to the storm event; an additional 150,000 people are now being supplied by schemes where generators have been deployed.
However, supplies for a further 275,000 people are at risk in areas where power is yet to be restored.
The national water company stated that the affected counties with the most impacts are Kerry, Clare, Tipperary, Cavan, Monaghan, Longford, Laois and across the North West.
The repair crews are currently on the grounds across the country in efforts to restore the supplies and deploy generators at sites where power has not been restored.
They are currently coordinating with the ESB to prioritise power restoration and liaising with other agencies, including the National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) and local authorities.
The NECG continues coordinating and supporting efforts to restore power, water, telecommunications and other services to thousands of homes, farms and businesses.
To date, 308,000 power connections have been restored and the intensive repairs and work will continue over the weekend.
However, the full restoration is expected to take more than a week in the worst impacted areas.
The Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary, has confirmed that the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme will be available to provide support to those living in properties directly affected by Storm Eowyn.
‘UNPRECEDENTED STORM EVENT’
Uisce Eireann’s Head of Water Operations, Margaret Attridge, said that there has been positive progress made overnight on the repairs – but several people are experiencing loss of water supply due to power outages.
She said: “This unprecedented storm event has had a severe impact on our water and wastewater network nationwide.
“Our crews are on the ground in all impacted areas working to restore water service as quickly as possible, but given the extent of the damage to the power network, it may take some time before full service is restored everywhere.
“We ask for the public’s continued patience during this challenging time.
“In locations where water supplies have been impacted for longer periods, we are deploying alternative water supplies.
“Details of these supplies and their locations will be posted across our website and social media channels as they become available.”
Margaret also urged customers to conserve water where possible to protect supply while the outages are resolved.
People can take some simple steps to conserve their water, such as avoiding water-intensive appliances during this time.
CHECK FOR LEAKS AND BURSTS PIPES
The national water company urged customers to notify them about their burst pipes as it struggles to provide standard supplies, which may lead to more water supplies being wasted due to a leak.
The crew needs to be notified about leaks or burst pipes so they can perform maintenance and repairs to reserve the water supply.
During the stormy days, there has been a notable increase in leaks and bursts caused by the debris across the network.
As a result, thedemand has increased, meaning it was impacting reservoir storage.
All homeowners are urged to check any property under their responsibility for burst pipes and leaks and report it to the crew to be prioritised for repair
And people are reminded not to leave the taps running and to fix dripping or leaking taps to preserve the water reservoir supply.
Customers can stay informed about their local water supply by visiting www.water.ie, via Uisce Éireann’s X feed, @IWCare, or by signing up for our free text alert service via the website.
Alternatively, they can get in touch via their 24/7 customer care centre at 1800 278 278.
