The hosepipe ban has been extended until the end of September for 13 counties across Munster and Leinster, as “public water supplies remain under pressure and require continued protection”, Uisce Éireann has said.The ban, officially called a “water conservation order”, will be extended until September 30th across Carlow, Cork, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick, Meath, Offaly, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow.Those living in these counties are prohibited from using a hosepipe “or similar equipment” to water their gardens, clean their cars or fill a swimming or paddling pool, among other restrictions.“Uisce Éireann is asking customers in these 13 counties to continue avoiding non-essential water use,” the semi-State company said. “The extension will help conserve available water and protect supplies for homes, businesses, farms, hospitals, vulnerable customers and essential services.” The order will be lifted for the rest of the State – in counties Cavan, Clare, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Leitrim, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Monaghan, Roscommon, Sligo and Westmeath – from midnight on Wednesday.This is “following an improvement in the availability of water for supply and increased rainfall”, according to Uisce Éireann, which “is continuing to take operational measures to maintain supplies”.This includes “maximising water production, repairing leaks, moving water by tanker where necessary and managing the network to reduce the risk of outages”.Uisce Éireann’s head of water operations, Margaret Attridge, said it “received great support from the public for our water conservation appeal, which has helped reduce demand significantly in many areas.“The collective efforts of communities to reduce unnecessary water use have made a real difference in protecting our essential supplies,” she said.“The improvement in conditions means we can now lift the order across many counties. However, she said supplies in parts of the east and south ”remain under pressure, and water sources in these areas will need more time to recover".