Farmers in Northern Ireland have been asked to be 'particularly careful' of water usage during the dry spell to help avoid a hosepipe ban.
While farmers were 'very mindful' of water, the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) said the dry weather conditions meant water supply was 'under pressure'.
This, coupled with more individuals working from home due to the Covid-19 crisis, meant that 'extra precautions' were needed.
It follows confirmation from the Met Office that this spring was the second driest since the beginning of the twentieth century.
This dry spell, coupled with more people at home using more water, has resulted in a significant drop in water levels in Northern Ireland.
UFU deputy president Victor Chestnutt said water was a 'critical aspect' of food production and 'essential' in keeping livestock hydrated.
"The process of food production has already experienced challenges due to the pandemic and we must make sure we are being vigilant with our water usage so that a hosepipe ban does not become another.
“We ask all members to take a bit of time during their day to check that all pumps and pipework for drinkers are in good working order, and that all tanks are leakproof.
"These are things that we don’t check on a regular basis so issues could arise and linger for a lengthy period without anyone realising," he said.
NI Water added that it welcomed efforts by the farming community to use rainwater for use around the farm.
Director of customer service delivery, Des Nevin explained that waterbutts were a 'great way' to harvest rainwater to be reused on the farm.
"The recent rain we have experienced is not enough to bring the levels back up," Mr Nevin said.
"We would need a period of reasonably wet weather before we would see a significant change in the levels of most of our reservoirs."
While NI Water said there were a number of steps it could take to alleviate the stress on reservoirs, including a hosepipe ban, the 'key was to conserve water'.
"How we all use our water now will have a massive impact on our water levels during the summer months and on whether a hosepipe ban will be required,” Mr Nevin added.
