LATEST: Thousands of homes and businesses remain without water as cold snap continues

Uisce Éireann says its crews are continuing to work in freezing conditions, to restore water supplies to thousands of customers - many of which are living in rural parts of County Limerick.

As of lunchtime this Tuesday, approximately 17,000 people have no water, mainly in counties Limerick, Tipperary and Kerry. That’s down from 30,000 on Monday night. 

With temperatures expected to drop to as low as minus ten degrees, Uisce Éireann expects further impacts to water supplies in the coming days as freezing ground puts stress on underground pipes and network connections to properties. This can cause an increase in leaks and bursts.

The utility says crews are being provided with assistance in accessing water treatment plants and pumping stations where access is difficult due to hazardous terrain and snow and ice. 

READ ALSO: Status Yellow, Orange and Red - what do the different Met Éireann weather warnings mean?

Uisce Éireann’s Head of Water Operations Margaret Attridge (pictured, below) is urging people to continue to conserve water and to report any leaks on the public network.  

"As some counties face Arctic conditions, which can impact on our pipe infrastructure, letting us know of breaks on the public network allows us to dispatch our expert crews as early as possible, therefore protecting the levels of water in our reservoirs for the whole country.”

Ms Attridge added: “Conserving water at home and at work can help safeguard water supplies for as many people as possible, especially for our vulnerable customers and essential services such as hospitals and nursing homes. We’re asking people to do simple things like being mindful of shower times and turning off the faucet when brushing teeth.

"We are continuing to ask people to insulate outside taps, exposed pipes and tanks, to check for leaks and to turn off water to exterior pipes or unoccupied premises. We are especially asking people never to leave taps running as this will not necessarily prevent pipes from freezing and can impact on local water supply.”

Members of the public can report leaks or bursts on the public water networks to the Uisce Éireann Customer Care Team on 1800 278 278. 

Customers can also sign up to its free text alerts scheme which gives details of supply interruptions that last longer than four hours as well as details on planned and unplanned outages and boil water notices.

For more information and updates, see water.ie.