A hosepipe ban will be introduced in west Cork in the Republic of Ireland following a period of dry weather and increased demand.
The Water Conservation Order, issued by Irish Water, will run from midnight for a period of four weeks.
It prohibits the use of garden hoses and other non-essential uses of water.
The number of people affected by the order is 38,000, equating to 14,000 households and businesses, RTÉ News reported., external
Rainfall in west Cork has been below-average for every month, except June, since November last year.
Irish Water said it would take six to eight weeks of rainfall to replenish depleted water resources.
But Met Éireann has forecast a further spell of dry, warm weather for the next two weeks.
Demand for water has also increased over the summer period, particularly in popular tourist areas and in agriculture.
Margaret Attridge, from Irish Water, said: “The introduction of this order follows a series of measures that Irish Water has put in place to safeguard supplies over the summer, including tankering water to reservoirs, nightime shut offs in some areas, pressure management and a public information campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of water conservation year-round.
“We will continue to analyse water consumption levels while the Water Conservation Order is in place.
“It is essential that our water supply is protected if we are to avoid restrictions and outages over the coming weeks and months.”
