Irish people drank almost an extra litre of water a day during pandemic

Mike Sutton, left, and Denis Sutton, Directors of Ishka Irish Spring Water at the plant in Ballyneety, Co Limerick. Consumers in Ireland drank almost an extra litre of water a day during the pandemic, according to the Ishka Irish Spring Water survey. Picture: Brian Connolly.

People in Ireland drank almost an extra litre of water a day as the pandemic locked them out of offices, schools, colleges and hospitality, new research shows.

It also revealed that women are drinking more than men.

Women are now drinking an average of 1.4 litres daily since March 2020, an increase of 900ml, compared to men’s average of 1.3 litres, up 800ml.

Overall, a third of people (34%) upped their water consumption in lockdown – the vast majority (58%) of them were 18 to 24-year-olds, who downed up to two litres more than usual.

The Ishka Irish Spring Water survey of 1,000 adults, carried out by iReach, also reveals an average spend of 4.60 euro on bottled water every week.

The data shows a majority of the adult population (45%) drink between one and two litres of water every day, with women consuming marginally more (1.4 litres) than men (1.3 litres).

Just over a third of people increased water intake during lockdown, and of these, 71% drank at least an extra one litre, with a thirsty 23% pouring themselves an extra 1-2 litres.

It meant the average extra water intake was just off one litre during Covid restrictions.

“The results show that people in Ireland clearly listened to public health advice and other influencers who offered tips to those working from home when lockdown arrived,” said Mike Sutton, director of Limerick-based Ishka.

“Hydration is one of the simplest, yet most important things we can do on a daily basis to stay healthy.”

More than half of people (54%) buy bottled water every week with an average weekly spend of 4.60 euro – with 10% spending between 5 euro and 10 euro.

The research also shows many consumers are embracing the green message as half of all respondents say the type of water they buy is influenced by whether bottles are made from recycled plastic and whether they can be recycled after use.

Younger consumers are more tuned in, however, with 79% of those aged 18-24 concerned about recyclability, almost double that (34%) in the 35-44 age bracket.

The survey was conducted between July 8-15 for Ishka by research company iReach, surveying 1,000 adults over the age of 18.