Hosepipe ban in parts of north Donegal extended until August 

A hosepipe ban in parts of north Donegal  has been extended for another seven weeks.

The  water conservation order for the Milford regional public water supply will remain in place until Monday, August 4, 2025 and applies to customers supplied by the public water supply in Milford, Kerrykeel, Ramelton.

It was introduced on May 6 for six weeks due to a long period of dry weather combined with a large increase in demand.

The water conservation order prohibits the use of garden hosepipes and other non-essential uses of water by domestic users and commercial premises for non-commercial activities and Uisce Éireann says the measure is essential to safeguard water supplies for homes, businesses, and essential services.

The utility says that while recent weeks have brought cooler and wetter weather, the water levels at Lough Colmcille which supplies water to the Milford area remain under severe pressure.

Water levels at Lough Colmcille remain lower than previously recorded at this time of year and it is expected, based on the typical trend for this time of year, that water levels will decrease for the summer period.

 It is considered that significant levels of rainfall over a prolonged period of time are required for this source to recover. 

Forecasts also indicate a likely return to warmer, drier weather from next week, which could further increase demand and place additional strain on an already stressed supply.

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Uisce Éireann’s water network operations manager for Donegal, Damien O’Sullivan, said: "Uisce Éireann's top priority is to protect our water supply for use in homes, businesses and essential services. I’d like to thank the communities in Milford, Ramelton and Kerrykeel for adhering to the Water Conservation Order and urge them to continue to adhere to the order over the next seven weeks. We appreciate too the efforts of the public in reporting leaks to us and continuing their efforts to conserve water.

"Despite this collective effort and the recent rainfall in the area, Lough Colmcille remains under severe pressure and water levels in the lake remain lower than usual for this time of year. This is due to significantly reduced rainfall over the past six months, combined with a noticeable increase in water demand in Milford over the past couple of years as a result of growth in the area.

“While it may often feel like Ireland gets plenty of rain, the data shows we’ve experienced an unseasonably warm and dry autumn and winter. As a result, Lough Colmcille has not had its usual seasonal recharge, and we are now in the summer months with lower-than-average water levels. In response, we have increased our efforts in leakage detection, pipe repair, and overall network management. 

"We have taken a number of steps to reduce demand and we are continuing to supplement Milford from nearby supplies to allow for Lough Colmcille to replenish. Due to this, there has been a 40% reduction in abstraction from Lough Colmcille since last October. We have also deployed extra resources to finding and fixing critical leaks in the water network and conducted a public information campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of water conservation year-round.”