Dublin council suspends routine street cleaning across most of city to conserve water
Dublin City Council (DCC) has suspended routine street washing outside of a few core streets in the city centre, in response to Uisce Éireann’s call to conserve water.
The restrictions will be in place for six weeks, and mean that only core city centre thoroughfares, like O’Connell Street, Henry Street, North Earl Street, Capel Street, Grafton Street, College Green, Parliament Street and Drury Street are in line for regular washing.
On the streets that do receive power washing, DCC said it would be using low-pressure methods, which it says reduces water usage by up to 50pc.
A spokesperson for the council said: “the measures are intended to support community-wide efforts in water conversation in the Dublin city area, in response to the current water conservation order”.
Heavily soiled pavements or areas that present public health concerns will continue to be cleaned by the council on a reactive basis, with the removal of racist and politically-motivated graffiti cited as a priority.
Sticker removal will also now be carried out with scrapers and specialist cleaning chemicals rather than power washing.
Dublin’s Lord Mayor, Daryl Barron, said: “clearly this will have an affect on some operational areas but water is a vital resource and has to be protected during this ongoing spell of warm weather.
“Uisce Eireann has introduced this water restriction for a good reason and it is important that we all play our part in helping to conserve water whatever way we can.”
Derek Kelly, DCC’s head of environment and climate, said the council was committed to keeping streets “hygienic and welcoming” over the next six weeks, despite the restrictions.
“Our commitment is to use water wisely while continuing our services to safeguard public health,” he said. “We will continue to observe and iterate our approach as required, operating with reactive washing where required.”
“We appreciate the public’s understanding and cooperation as we adapt our operations to protect this vital resource during challenging conditions.”
After the six-week period, the council said it would embark on a “comprehensive programme of street washing to restore the cleanliness of all roads and public spaces within the restriction zones”.
Maintenance works on other council services such as bike racks, seats and planters, are unaffected by the changes.