COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, July 12, 2010
QUESTION NO. 24
QUESTION: Councillor E. Tuffy
To ask the Manager if he will make a report on the current situation in respect of the Council's security of water supply, if any shortages are being experienced in any areas, and the anticipated outlook for the remainder of the year?
REPLY:
South Dublin County Council’s drinking water supplies are secure at the moment with no areas in South Dublin experiencing shortages of supplies and it is anticipated that this situation will continue unless consumption increases and rainfall remains scarce. There is more precipitation in the atmosphere but it does not fall on demand. This results in local authorities having to plan for both drought and flooding as both events can occur within any 12 months. The low level of leakage and unaccounted for water in South Dublin - approximately 20% - reduces some of the issue for the region but it is a regional supply and all actions within the region impact across the region.
South Dublin receives most of it’s water from Dublin City’s Water Treatment Plant at Ballymore Eustace with a small amount coming from Fingal’s Water Treatment Plant at Leixlip. Both of these plants are being upgraded to provide increased capacity and greater security of supply to users across the region.
South Dublin County Council together with the other Local Authorities in the Greater Dublin Area are calling on all water users to play their part in conserving water. South Dublin County Council has issued an urgent water conservation message to all water users due to the dramatic increase in demand for water during current fine weather. Water is produced on a 24 hour basis in Dublin and the region’s water treatment plants, which are operating at full capacity to meet demand and this demand has been rising in recent weeks. Increased consumption and excessive use of garden hoses in particular are having a serious affect on water storage in Dublin.
If current demand continues, water restrictions may have to be introduced to make sure enough water is available for everyone during the day but any decision to introduce restrictions will be made on a regional basis and consumers will be notified in advance. The chart below demonstrates how water consumption increase correspond directly with increases in temperature and is on the appended graph.
It would appear that the majority of water users don’t realise how much they waste by leaving taps or hoses running. For instance a garden hose uses more water in one hour than an entire family would use in a day. Hosing gardens or stockpiling water at a time like this can making a difficult situation virtually impossible to manage. Wasted water results in someone being left without at another time.
Simple changes in how people use their water supply will really help the available supply to go a lot further. Taps or hoses should never, ever, be left running, especially to water lawns or to wash cars. Water should never be stockpiled in baths, pots or buckets when supplies are low and this can be the final straw when supplies are critical.
Water supply is managed to make sure water is available at times of greatest demand and that any restrictions are applied to specific uses or at a time when disruption is least, usually at night.
These simple water saving tips are advised to conserve water at all times:
· NEVER hose lawns when supplies are restricted
· DO NOT stockpile water by filling baths
· Keep a jug of water in the fridge
· Use a basin to clean fruit and vegetables, use a bucket to wash cars or windows
· Fix leaking taps and turn off the supply if there is a burst pipe
· Use washing machines and dishwashers only when full
· Don’t leave the tap running when washing teeth
· A shower uses less water than a bath
Regular updates are available on South Dublin County Councils website www.sdcc.ie and on Twitter.com/sdublincoco
Check out www.taptips.ie for a whole range of simple effective water conservation tips.