By Dan Walsh
Uisce Éireann is appealing to customers across County Wexford to help conserve water as exceptionally high demand continues to place pressure on local water supplies.
The appeal is focused on customers supplied by the Wexford Town, Fardystown, Taylorstown and Gorey water treatment plants, where water usage has increased significantly during the recent spell of warm weather and increased summer demand.
Together, the Wexford Town, Fardystown, Taylorstown and Gorey water treatment plants are currently producing four million litres more water each day than the average daily demand experienced in 2025. This represents a peak increase of 9% in demand and is enough water to supply approximately 25,500 additional people every day.
While supplies are being maintained, there is a need to reduce demand to help protect local water supplies and ease pressure on raw water sources, treatment processes and treated water reservoirs.
Across the water treatment plants, production has increased significantly to meet exceptionally high customer demand. Fardystown Water Treatment Plant is currently producing approximately 13 million litres of drinking water each day, compared to a typical daily output of 10.2 million litres. The plant is not only meeting increased local demand but is also supporting supplies in Wexford Town and Taylorstown.
Padraig Lyng, Water Operations Manager with Uisce Éireann, told WexfordLocal.com: “Our teams are working around the clock to maintain water supplies across County Wexford and are currently producing very significant volumes of drinking water every day to meet demand.
“Every litre of treated drinking water supplied to homes and businesses starts as water drawn from a raw water source. It must then be treated, stored and supplied through the network. When demand remains exceptionally high over a sustained period, it places increasing pressure on each stage of that process.”
“The Wexford Town, Fardystown and Gorey water treatment plants are currently producing water at levels significantly above what we would normally expect for this time of year. While we are continuing to maintain supplies, reducing demand now will help protect local water sources and support a more sustainable supply throughout the summer months.”
“We are asking customers to help by reducing non-essential water use wherever possible. Small changes made by households, businesses, sporting clubs, community groups and visitors can collectively make a significant difference and help protect supplies for everyone.
“By acting now, communities across Wexford can help reduce pressure on the network, protect raw water sources and safeguard local water supplies throughout the summer.”
Customers can support water conservation efforts by avoiding unnecessary use of hoses and sprinklers, using a watering can instead of a hose, taking shorter showers, only running dishwashers, and washing machines when full, and checking homes and businesses for leaks.
A hosepipe can use as much water in one hour as a typical family uses in an entire day. By making small changes to daily routines, customers can help protect local water supplies while demand remains high. This aligns with Uisce Éireann’s recent national appeal encouraging customers to continue saving water during periods of sustained high demand.
Customers can find practical water-saving advice and access Uisce Éireann’s Water Conservation Calculator on www.water.ie/conservation.
WexfordLocal.com 