A four-week hosepipe ban is to come into effect for West Cork from midnight on Tuesday, after “unprecedented low” rainfall levels and increased demand from tourism and agriculture put water supplies in the area under “severe stress”.
Despite the recent period of hot, dry weather, there are currently no plans to extend the ban to other parts of the country.
The State-owned utility company Irish Water issued a Water Conservation Order for West Cork, which bans the non-essential use of water, such as the use of garden hosepipes and filling paddling pools.
