Water restrictions have been introduced for all of Dublin and parts of surrounding counties as Uisce Éireann warns of dwindling supplies as the hot, dry weather continues. A formal “water conservation order”, commonly known as a hosepipe ban, will be in effect for six weeks, beginning a minute past midnight on Thursday and running until midnight on August 26th. It applies to Dublin and south Tipperary as well as parts of Wicklow, Kildare, Meath, Wexford.The order makes it an offence to use water for a number of specified unnecessary purposes including watering domestic gardens.