Dubliner are being advised to cut down on their shower time to three minutes, as Irish Water has warned that this summer could see challenges with Ireland's water supply.
More than half of Irish households admit to wasting water even though four out of five know it is important to take steps to conserve it, a new survey has found.
It comes as Irish Water has launched a new water conservation calculator to help households cut back on wasting water.
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Users answer a few short questions about water-usage habits, and the calculator informs them how much water they are currently saving and how they could increase this figure.
Some of the ways households can conserve water include cutting their shower time to three or four minutes at most and reducing washes in a washing machine by just one cycle a week, which can save 13 litres of water, according to Irish Water.
Keeping a jug of water in the fridge rather than letting the tap run cold will save six litres a day and making sure the tap is off while brushing teeth can save up to 84 litres of water a week.
John O’Donoghue, Irish Water’s regional operations manager, said the new water conservation calculator could help people improve their water usage, as it was launched at Scoil Treasa Naofa in Dublin.
Speaking on RTE Radio 1's Morning Ireland, Mr O'Donoghue said that the country has experienced drier weather than usual since the start of the year.
He said: "Today is all about water conservation and the importance of preserving water, and we've developed assistance for householders to show how they use water and to show tips where they can actually save water as well.
"So it's very important for us on an ongoing basis to save water because it is a very precious commodity."
Mr O'Donoghue said the utility is expecting a big push in demand for water this summer.
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"We have had a long dry spell now with not much rain since Christmas, and we would be getting concerned about some supplies."
He added: "We are just stressing the importance of conserving water, it's important all year round but obviously coming into the summer time people are more conscious of it."
For more information and to check out the new water conservation calculator click here
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