A three-week hosepipe ban in Northern Ireland is to be lifted.

The restriction on domestic use of hosepipes will end on Thursday at 12pm.

The ban was introduced on June 29 in response to a 30% spike in demand for water during the scorching summer in Northern Ireland.

Treatment plants were struggling to process the volumes of water customers were using.

Restrictions on water use in the Republic of Ireland remain in place.

Northern Ireland Water said the public response to the call to conserve water had helped reduce the demand to manageable levels.

Sara Venning, chief executive of NI Water, said: “Thanks to the fantastic response from the public to our appeals to conserve water, we have seen demand for water decrease from three-quarters of a billion litres per day, some 30% above average, to near normal levels.

“This means our water treatment works, which were struggling to meet this exceptional demand, with large-scale water supply interruptions imminent, are now coping comfortably with demand. This allows us to lift the hosepipe ban from noon tomorrow.

“We would stress, however, that a continued focus on water conservation is essential. Ideally, we would like to see demand reduced still further or at least maintained at its present level to avoid the prospect of the ban having to be reintroduced. This is achievable if we continue to use water wisely.

“Many customers have adopted new habits and ways to conserve water in everyday life and we hope they will continue with these changes in their daily lives.”