Irish Water has launched a new Conservation Calculator, allowing users to monitor and reduce their water usage.

This free tool was developed in response to research which shows consumers want additional tools to assist them conserve water.

The research commissioned by Irish Water shows that over half of Irish households (53%) admit to wasting water, even though some eight in ten (78%) know it is important to take steps to conserve it. One in five respondents report actively conserving water in their homes. However, almost two in five (40%) reveal that they are interested in future planned water services initiatives.

By answering just a few short questions about water usage habits, households of all sizes can calculate how much water they are currently saving, and what they could do to save even more. The average water use of one person is 133 litres per day, and results from the calculator are based on the water use of typical households of similar sizes. The Conservation Calculator provides helpful advice for those wanting to ensure they use water responsibly to improve their score rating.

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Speaking at the launch, John O'Donoghue, Irish Water's Regional Operations Manager, said: "As we move into the summer months it's important to that we all consider our water usage and look at simple yet impactful ways to conserve water in the home. It can sometimes be difficult to know where to start, but even small changes can make a significant difference – and we can all play our part. Taking shorter showers, only running a washing machine and dishwasher with full loads, and even turning off the tap when brushing your teeth, are just some of the simple steps we can all take today to conserve water and safeguard our precious water resources.

"Our new calculator is designed for everyone to use – and school going children will, we think, particularly like examining their water usage at home. It offers practical advice on conserving water, to ensure we have a sustainable water supply for everyone in years to come. We are encouraging everyone to play their part with us and think water conservation.

"We understand that historic network leakage continues to be a challenge and we are working hard with all relevant stakeholders and are on track to achieve a national leakage rate below 20% in Dublin and 25% nationally by 2030 – that's down from 46% leakage in 2018. Over 2,000 leaks are fixed every month by our team and local authority partners, and 166 million litres of water was saved daily during 2021 alone. Working together, we can all take steps to ensure our water is safeguarded for future generations."

The new Conservation Calculator is available here.