Water restrictions which have been in place on the Aran Islands since late April have been lifted on Inis Mór and Inis Meain after recent heavy rainfall.
Irish Water imposed nightly water restrictions on the the Aran Islands starting on April 20 in response to a massive increase in demand from the stay at home orders, and HSE handwashing guidelines.
This week, the restrictions on Inis Mór and Inis Meain were lifted by Irish Water this week after recent rainfall replenished reservoir levels.
Commenting, Tim O’Connor, Irish Water said “There is good news for Inis Mór following the recent rain.
“The reservoirs are reasonably full and there is currently enough water in storage on the island to cater for locals and incoming tourists.
“Reserves are also rising slowly on Inis Meain, while also taking into account the tourist season.”
“We would like to thank everyone who was impacted by these restrictions which were absolutely necessary due to the very low levels of water on the islands following one of our driest periods in history for their conservation efforts and patience.”
However, night time restrictions are remaining in place on Inis Oírr between 9pm and 9am for the foreseeable future.
Irish Water and Galway County Council are continuing to monitor the situation on a daily basis, urging local residents and businesses, as well as visitors to the islands, to conserve water wherever possible.
Travel to Ireland’s offshore islands has been closed off since March, with ferry operators saying they would only take islanders and emergency or essential personnel for necessary trips.
Phase 3 of the easing of lockdown restrictions, which began on Monday, has seen travel to offshore islands permitted for the first time in months.
