17,000 remain without water in Ireland as big freeze continues to wreak havoc
The counties of Tipperary, Limerick and Kerry have been worst affected
Approximately 17,000 people remain without water as the cold snap continues to cause major disruption across the country.
The counties of Tipperary, Limerick and Kerry make up the majority of people who are still water-less since the big freeze arrived in recent days. The figure of 17,000 people is down from 30,000 on Monday night.
Uisce Eireann crews are continuing their work this morning to restore supplies to customers who have been without water, though they have warned that further disruption could come in the coming days as additional weather warnings come into place.
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Uisce Éireann’s Head of Water Operations Margaret Attridge is encouraging customers to conserve water and to make sure to report any leaks on the public network.
She said: "As some counties face Arctic conditions, which can impact on our pipe infrastructure, letting us know of breaks on the public network allows us to dispatch our expert crews as early as possible, therefore protecting the levels of water in our reservoirs for the whole country."
She added: "Conserving water at home and at work can help safeguard water supplies for as many people as possible, especially for our vulnerable customers and essential services such as hospitals and nursing homes. We’re asking people to do simple things like being mindful of shower times and turning off the faucet when brushing teeth.
"We are continuing to ask people to insulate outside taps, exposed pipes and tanks, to check for leaks and to turn off water to exterior pipes or unoccupied premises. We are especially asking people never to leave taps running as this will not necessarily prevent pipes from freezing and can impact on local water supply."
A Met Eireann Status Orange low temperature/ice warning has been issued for all of Munster and Connacht, and the counties of Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow, Cavan and Monaghan from 8pm tonight to 10am Wednesday as conditions will be extremely cold with widespread severe frost, ice and lying snow.
From 6pm Wednesday to 11am Thursday, a Status Orange low temperature/ice warning will effectively be in place for the entire country.
Temperatures could drop to as low as -10C in this period, which may cause further disruption to water supplies as underground pipes will be affected by the freezing conditions.
The public can report leaks or bursts on the public water networks to Uisce Eireann's Customer Care Team on 1800 278 278.
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