Irish Water and Galway City and County Councils are urging people across Galway to continue to conserve water in every way possible as the drought is reducing water levels in rivers, lakes and boreholes.
Production at water treatment plants is struggling to meet demand and night-time restrictions are in place in many towns and areas across the county.
East Galway
The Ballinasloe Water Treatment Plant is operating at full capacity and reservoir levels are giving major cause for concern.
Supplementary pumps have been deployed due to low water levels in the River Suck, which are decreasing at a significant rate. Customers in Ballinasloe, Laurencetown, Eyrecourt and Kiltormer are urged to reduce water usage in every way possible to ensure a continuous supply for all.
Water levels in the River Suck are approaching a level of only 600mm.
Aran Islands
Night time restrictions are in place on Inis Mór from 8pm to 8am. This is to conserve water in the raw water reservoirs.
Water usage on the island has increased by 30 per cent in the past 21 days and reservoir levels are giving cause for very serious concern.
Water consumption on Inis Oirr and Inis Meain has increased by 30 per cent in the past two weeks and Irish Water is urging customers to increase their efforts to conserve water on all of the Aran Islands.
Water restrictions on Inis Oirr will continue nightly from 8pm to 8am.
West Galway
Restrictions remain in place on the Ballyconneely Water Treatment Plant serving the Ballyconneely and Foreglass areas from 11pm to 7am for the foreseeable future. This is because demand on this scheme is now exceeding supply.
Demand in Tír na Fhía/Leitir Mór has increased significantly and some areas are experiencing outages.
Supply from the Tír na Fhía Water Treatment Plant is higher than can be sustained and leak repairs have been carried out in recent days.
South Galway
Customers in Clarinbridge, Kilcolgan, Roveagh, Ballinderreen and Tyrone Group Water Scheme are urged to conserve water. Work has been carried out at Clarenbridge Water Tower to improve the supply situation in the short term but consumption is still very high.
Customers in Gort are also urged to conserve water as raw water levels in the Gort River are dropping.
Galway City
Due to very high demand in areas supplied by Tonabrocky reservoir, Irish Water has no choice but to restrict water supply at night time between the hours of 11pm and 7am.
Barna, Moycullen, Knocknacarra, Kingston, Taylor’s Hill, Letteragh Road, Bishop O’Donnell Road, Clybaun Road, Cappagh Road, Ballymoneen Road (areas north of Western Distributor Road) may experience low pressure and reduced flow at night time.
These restrictions are essential to allow the Tonabrocky reservoir storage levels to recover and will remain in place at night time until further notice.
