Paul Hopkins: Never rains but it pours; barely a drop to drink

Despite the recent deluges in Donegal and the south west, some things in life we still take for granted.

Like water, particularly as we are literally surrounded by it. Although the unusual hot summer we've been having may have dampened a little, hosepipe bans introduced in several parts of the country appear to have also dampened local demand for water, while Uisce Éireann says all supplies are being closely monitored.

The strain on water supplies illustrates one of the challenges that come with having good weather. While most people have greeted the good days as a joy, between the high temperatures and low rainfall lies a middling anxiety. It is felt by those whose job it is to keep water in our taps, moisture in our soils and fire out of our forests.

The entire country has had lower than average rain in the past 12 months and, despite some heavy falls in late April, conditions are still very dry.

The European Drought Observatory has most of Ireland under drought watch or drought warning – stages two and three of the three-step drought threat index – and a scattering of local areas are already at stage three alert.

Three of the worst potentially drought-affected areas in counties are Meath, Westmeath and Donegal. As far back as last November, the water utility was appealing to customers served by the Mullingar water supply to go easy on their usage. Levels in the source it depends on, Lough Owel, were already so low at that stage. Lough Owel, along with Lough Bane in Meath and Lough Colmcille in Donegal, hit historically low levels recently, prompting the restrictions that affect 70,000 people.

Meantime, Ireland's drinking water sources will be scarcer and more polluted as climate change plays havoc with rainfall and rivers, a new Government analysis shows. The report looks at the expected impacts on water quality and water infrastructure for the next 25 years and warns that substantial risks loom.

More frequent summer droughts will deplete supplies and cause higher concentrations of pollutants that make it harder to treat water to a standard safe enough to drink. Natural minerals such as manganese will also become more concentrated, discolouring supplies with staining pigments which has been this writer's experience in and around Kilmainhamwood.

Higher temperatures year-round, but particularly in summer like we have been experiencing, will make rivers and lakes warmer and that, in turn, reduces the amount of oxygen in the water and kills plants and fish. According to the report, their decomposing remains will contaminate water sources which will also be prone to higher levels of disease-causing (diarrhoea) cryptosporidium, a nasty little parasite that thrives at warmer temperatures.

"Climate change poses substantial risks for the water quality and water services infrastructure sectors as a result of both gradual changes in average climate conditions, such as increases in average temperature, and as a result of acute climate changes, such as changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events," the report says.

We all need good drinking water – for hydration. And, for those of ye who have healthy kidneys, it is rather difficult to drink too much water, but (especially in warm humid weather and while exercising) it is downright dangerous to drink too little. But, and here’s the but, we can drink far more water than necessary while exercising, putting ourselves at risk of what is called ‘water intoxication’ which can prove fatal. Which only goes to show you that sticking with the pints could be a better option.

Basically, the human body is one large water container. Which reminds me of the first time I went to California and discovered BigMacs, Toyotas and multiplex cinemas for the first time, as there was none of that stuff back home. Back then I also came across bottled water. Bottled water? You gotta be joking, I said to the West Coast cool chick driving me in her yellow Toyota. It’ll never catch on back home. They’d never actually pay for water when we’re surrounded by the bloody stuff. To be fair, this bottled mineral stuff, for which you pay good money and with which Ballygowan’s Geoff Read made a small fortune, back in the day, contains minerals like salts and sulphur — though what they actually do for you is still part of my ongoing research.

Perhaps legendary cinema director WC Fields was right when he said he never drank the stuff —’cos fish have sex in it.

Meanwhile, tonight one in five of the world's 8.1bn souls will go to bed thirsty, with no access to clean water...