Half of Irish households admit to wasting water 

Dry summers in recent years have increased the risk of drought and water supply disruption. Picture: David Creedon / Anzenberger

Over half of Irish households admit to wasting water, even though most people know the importance of conserving it, a new survey has found.

The results come as we move into the 'dry' summer months; 70 of Irish Water's treatment plans in a drought or at risk of drought last year. 

The survey of more than 1,000 people by Behaviour & Attitudes for Irish Water found that fewer than one in five respondents reported actively conserving water in their homes.

Irish Water published the results of the survey to coincide with the launch of its new Conservation Calculator to help households across the country assess how they use water and tips on how to reduce usage.

The average water use of one person a day is around 133 litres but some simple actions could help reduce that, the utility said.

The survey found that while 78% of people know they should take steps to conserve water, 53% admit to wasting it.

Reducing water usage

Some examples of ways to reduce water usage include keeping a jug of water in the fridge rather than letting the cold tap run, which could save six litres a day.

Making sure the tap is off when brushing your teeth can save 84 litres of water a week, while cutting your time in the shower by 60 seconds could save up to 120 litres a week, the utility said.

Irish Water’s regional operations manager John O’Donoghue said that it’s important to look at ways to reduce our water usage “as we move into the summer months”.

Dry summers in recent years have increased the risk of drought and water supply disruption. 

Last July, night-time restrictions and urgent appeals to conserve water were put in place in a number of counties to relieve the pressure on the system.

However, at the same time, Irish Water also acknowledged that leakages from the network remain a “challenge”.

From a leakage rate of 46% in 2018, meaning over almost half of our water was lost to leakages in the system, Irish Water now says it’s “on track” to meet a national leakage rate below 20% in Dublin and 25% nationally by 2030.

“Over 2,000 leaks are fixed every month by our team and local authority partners, and 166 million litres of water was saved daily during 2021 alone,” Mr O’Donoghue added.