13 August 2025
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Essential overnight restrictions required at the Abbeystrewry Reservoir, Skibbereen and Crookhaven to maintain daytime supply
Night time water restrictions will be in place from Wednesday, 13 August until Monday, 18 August from 10pm until 7am to ensure daytime supplies for customers served by the Abbeystrewry Reservoir
Uisce Éireann wish to advise customers supplied by the Abbeystrewry Reservoir that essential overnight restrictions are necessary and will be in place from 10pm tonight until 7am on Monday, 18 August to ensure water supply to industries, residences and commercial premises are in place during business hours. The restrictions are necessary due to the increased summer demand on the supply and ongoing dry weather.
Catchment regions where restrictions will be in place include –
- Lisheens
- Baltimore
- Sherkin Island
- Ballydehob
- Schull
- Heir Island
In addition, customers in Crookhaven may experience low water pressure this evening until 5pm tomorrow as maintenance repairs are taking place at the treatment plant. However, as this supply is also experiencing a high user demand, it will also be necessary to have over-night restrictions in place from Thursday, 14 August from 10pm until 7am on Monday, 18 August.
Michael Bell, Water Network Operations Manager, Uisce Éireann said: “The restriction during the night-time hours is to ensure minimal disruption to customers. We are mindful of the duration of the restrictions, but it is essential to safeguard continuous daytime supply and allow the reservoir the breathing space to replenish.” “We do understand the inconvenience that the restrictions may cause, and we would like to apologies to customers and thank them for their patience,” said Michael.
Earlier this month, night time restriction were in place on the Abbeystrowry Reservoir supply from Thursday night, 07 August until Saturday morning, 09 August. Mr Bell said the during that timeframe the reservoir sufficiently replenished. “During the course of the restrictions at both Abbeystrowry reservoir and in Crookhaven, we will be consistently monitoring the supply,” he said.
Uisce Éireann are asking customers in these areas to conserve water, where possible. Simple water conservation actions can have a significant impact on driving down demand on the supply. We are asking customers to conserve water by turning off the tap while brushing your teeth and shaving, which can save up to six litres of water per minute. Keeping a jug of water in the fridge instead of running the cold tap can save 10 litres of water per day. In the garden, we’re asking people to recycle water, such as water used in food preparation or washing up, for watering flowers and lawns. For more tips on how to reduce your water usage visit www.water.ie/conservation/. At present, a Water Conservation Order remains in place in Cork County (excluding Cork city) until Tuesday, 16 September 2025.
There may be discoloration to the water supply each morning due to these restrictions. In the event of discolouration, running the cold kitchen tap for several minutes will usually restore the water to a clear colour. The water is safe to drink once running clear. If the issue remains unresolved, we encourage customers to contact us directly on 1800 278 278 Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communications from us for planned and unplanned outages lasting more than four hours. Uisce Éireann continues to provide detailed, real-time, and local information about water service and supply issues on www.water.ie
Updates are available on our Water Supply Updates section on water.ie, on X (formerly Twitter) @IWCare and via our customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278. Uisce Éireann has also launched a free text service, providing real-time updates for local issues. Customers can sign up with their Eircode and mobile number at www.water.ie