Dublin City Council Water Services aim to maintain a pressure of at least 12m in the water-main network at anytime of the day. It will fluctuate as a result of varying demand.
What do I do when my water pressure is very low?
The customer is responsible for the section of the service pipe, which extends from the street control stopcock into his/her premises. This could be due to general low pressure in the area (This is likely if other houses on your road have a similar problem). For some customers the problem is caused by sharing a single supply pipe from the water main.
- This can be a problem if the pipe is too small or in poor condition
- If there is a leak or if customers sharing a supply frequently use water at the same time
Pressure can also be affected by the height of a customer's property, i.e. properties at the top of a hill receive lower pressure than properties which are at the bottom of the hill. Pressure varies during the day depending on the demand for water. When demand is high e.g. in the mornings and early evenings, pressure can be lower than during the rest of the day. There can also be problems during dry spells when people are using sprinklers and hose-pipes to water their gardens. In some cases pressure problems are caused by the customer's own pipe-work. For example a damaged or leaking pipe or a partially closed internal stop tap. In other cases, customers' pipes are old and have become corroded, restricting the water flow. In these cases Dublin City Council is not responsible for solving the problem. Other causes of low pressure can be the responsibility of Dublin City Council:
- Routine maintenance of water mains may result in short-term reductions in pressure
- Pumping facilities may not be adequate
- The water main may be too small - leakage, equipment failures or blockages of the service pipe, outside the boundary-wall may reduce the water pressure
A pressure and flow test can be carried out by Dublin City Council at the stopcock outside your house, on receipt of €127. If the defect is found on public property, it will be rectified and the money will be returned.
Payments can be made over the phone using Credit or Laser Card by calling Customer Services on 2222222 or alternatively please complete the form below and return with cheque or postal order to the Customer Service Centre, Block 3, Ground Floor, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8. Cash payments can be made in person at the Customer Service Centre Cash Office in the Civic Offices.