People in Ireland drank almost an extra litre of water a day as the pandemic locked them out of offices, schools, colleges and hospitality, new research shows.
It also revealed that women are drinking more than men.
Women are now drinking an average of 1.4 litres daily since March 2020, an increase of 900ml, compared to men’s average of 1.3 litres, up 800ml.
Overall, a third of people (34 per cent) upped their water consumption in lockdown — the vast majority (58 per cent) of them were 18 to 24-year-olds, who downed up to two litres more than usual.
The Ishka Irish Spring Water survey of 1,000 adults, carried out by iReach, also reveals an average spend of €4.60 on bottled water every week.
The data shows a majority of the adult population (45 per cent) drink between one and two litres of water every day, with women consuming marginally more (1.4 litres) than men (1.3 litres).
Just over a third of people increased water intake during lockdown, and of these, 71 per cent drank at least an extra one litre, with a thirsty 23 per cent pouring themselves an extra 1-2 litres.
It meant the average extra water intake was just off one litre during Covid restrictions.
“The results show that people in Ireland clearly listened to public health advice and other influencers who offered tips to those working from home when lockdown arrived,” said Mike Sutton, director of Limerick-based Ishka.
“Hydration is one of the simplest, yet most important things we can do on a daily basis to stay healthy.”
More than half of people (54 per cent) buy bottled water every week with an average weekly spend of €4.60 — with 10 per cent spending between €5 and €10.
The research also shows many consumers are embracing the green message as half of all respondents say the type of water they buy is influenced by whether bottles are made from recycled plastic and whether they can be recycled after use.
Younger consumers are more tuned in, however, with 79 per cent of those aged 18-24 concerned about recyclability, almost double that (34 per cent) in the 35-44 age bracket.
The survey was conducted between July 8-15 for Ishka by research company iReach, surveying 1,000 adults over the age of 18.
