Irish Water to roll out nightly restrictions across Longford from tonight as cold snap heaps pressure on supply levels
Longford households have been warned nightly water restrictions will be in place from tonight (Monday) as an upturn in frozen pipes and bursts brought about the recent cold snap has heaped further pressure on water supplies across the county.
Irish Water said it and Longford County Council crews are working to maintain essential water and wastewater services, however, increased demand has resulted in critically low reservoir levels.
As such the water utility provider said outages and decreased pressure would take place between 11pm and 6:30am in the following areas.
Longford Town, Ballymakeegan, Ballinalee, Newtownforbes, Drumlish, Clondra, Granard, Aughnacliff, Abbeyshrule, Ballymahon, Lanesboro and Newtowncashel, and surrounding areas.
It can take two to three hours following restrictions for normal water supply to be fully restored to all areas, especially for customers on higher ground and at the end of the network, said the utility provider in a statement.
John Gavin, Irish Water’s Operations Lead, offered this advice: “With the temperatures having been below freezing lately it is essential to continue the regular maintenance of your property and check premises and farms for leaks.
"It is also a good idea to familiarise yourself with your own internal water system and particularly how to turn off your supply at the stopcock so that you can protect your property in the event of a burst pipe."
Irish Water has appealed to key holders and owners of vacant properties to check their premises for leaks and bursts, and on farms to also check all land and shed connections.
Customers are also asked to report leaks on the public network via www.water.ie or by calling 1800 278 278.
Irish Water is also advising people never to leave taps running as this will not necessarily prevent pipes from freezing and can bleed the network, seriously impacting the local water supply.