The Aran island of Inis Oirr was anticipating its first delivery of emergency water supplies last night via a fishing vessel from Killybegs, Co Donegal.
Water supplies on the island have been rationed for the past few weeks, due to continuing dry weather, and Galway County Council commissioned a series of supplementary deliveries.
The Girl Stephanie, which is designed to carry fish catches in seawater holding tanks, was due to transport between 60,000 and 80,000 gallons to the island from Rossaveal, Co Galway, yesterday evening.
The county council is constructing a new reservoir on the island which will double the capacity, but this will not be completed until October - and will depend on rainfall to fill it.
The current reservoir is inadequate for summer demand and is exposed to seawater when it drops below a certain level, according to the island co-op.
Inis Oirr has a population of just under 300, but this multiplies during the summer with Irish college students and visitors.
Water supplies have been shut off between 9pm and 8am and between 2pm and 6pm this week. While householders can learn to cope, businesses are seriously affected, the co-op said.
The council said there was still storage capacity on the island and that yesterday's deliveries would supplement this over the next few days.
A 1996 report highlighted the strain on island infrastructure during the summer season. The island's population can quadruple during peak summer periods, the report said.
