Car washes escape water restrictions

DUBLIN CITY Council has said it has no proposals to impose a “hosepipe-type” ban on car washes, which are continuing to operate while water rationing is in place in the city.

The council, which distributes an average of 540 million litres of water a day, has said that restrictions to homes and businesses in the Dublin area will continue for this week at least, as crews strive to fix pipes that burst in the recent prolonged freeze.

Water tankers have been distributing drinking water across the city area from Ballsbridge to Finglas, and households have been advised to conserve water where possible, postponing the use of dishwashers and washing machines, as well as moderating the amount of water used in bathrooms.

But even as the council published a list of water-conservation measures and warned “water levels are at a critically low level, and demand is at an all-time high”, car washes on filling station forecourts have largely remained open, in some drawing queues, as wet and gritty roads lead to vehicles gathering increased dirt.

Asked about the possibility of a hosepipe-style ban this week, however, Dublin City Council pointed out that the garages were commercial customers who paid for their water supplies.

A statement from the council said: “A number of garages have facilities that allow them to reuse water that’s already been used in the car wash. Many of them also use untreated water for this.

“Finally, all are metered water users.”