Water outage tonight across Athlone

Water supply will be restricted across Athlone tonight, following issues at the town's water treatment plant

Irish Water and Westmeath County Council are advising the public that an essential, over-night restriction is required to help water levels in Annagh Reservoir recover and maintain supply for homes and businesses during the day.

Irish Water said the restriction is necessary following what it described as "operational issues" at Athlone Water Treatment Plant.

Dedicated crews are onsite and progressing with repairs.

To help reservoir levels recover and maintain a sufficient water supply to homes and businesses during normal working hours, water supply will be restricted from 10pm tonight, Wednesday, December 7, until 6am tomorrow morning.

The following locations may experience reduced water pressure and/or no water during these hours: Athlone Town, Baylin, Ballykeeren, Mount Temple, Glasson and Fardrum. It can take two to three hours following a restriction for the network to refill and normal supply to be fully restored to all areas.

Speaking about the restriction, John Gavin, Irish Water said: “Irish Water understands the inconvenience this overnight restriction may cause, however, it is essential to ensure a sufficient water supply is available for residents and businesses during the day for hygiene and other essential purposes."

Irish Water added: "Ahead of the restriction, we are appealing to customers to help conserve water by not running taps needlessly, taking showers instead of baths and to postpone using dishwashers and washing machines where possible.

Works are also progressing at Athlone Treatment Plant to increase its capacity, provide increased resilience, and safeguard the supply for the future.

The Irish Water helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact them on Twitter @IWCare with any queries.