It will be illegal to fill a paddling pool or water your garden for the next month.
Irish Water has issued a hosepipe ban for the Greater Dublin Area as demand for water continues to outstrip supply.
It comes after supplies fell again last night with 120 water supplies at risk around the country and almost 30 on restriction.
The Water Conservation Order will prohibit the use of water drawn through a hosepipe or similar apparatus for a range of purposes.
These include:
- Watering a garden
- Cleaning a private motor-vehicle using a domestic hosepipe
- Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe
- Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool - except when using a watering can
- Filling or maintaining a domestic pond using a hosepipe - excluding fish ponds
- Filling or maintaining a domestic ornamental fountain
- Use of water for filling or replenishing an artificial pond, lake or similar application - - excluding fish ponds.
The ban will come into place from this coming Monday July 1st – and will remain in place for at least a month until July 31st.
The utility had said it will keep the situation under review and has warned it may have to extend the order if necessary.
People could face prosecution if they're caught out and face a fine of €125, but Kate Gannon from Irish Water says it's not about punishing people: 'For us it's not about that. We just want to ensure that we get immediate water conservation benefits'.
A hose pipe ban has already been brought in in the north as temperatures reached a high of 32 degrees at Shannon Airport yesterday - the hottest temperature since 1976.
Met Eireann has extended its yellow heat warning until tomorrow night, while The Department of Agriculture, has extended its red fire warning until at least midday on Monday 2nd July.
People are being urged to conserve water, to take shorter showers, not to wash their car or water their garden and to avoid filling paddling pools everyday.
