Uisce Éireann works will drive down leakage on shores of Lough Corrib

Information below is relevant until further updates are provided here or on our Supply and Service Updates section

Uisce Éireann customers in the scenic village of Portacarron, located on the shores of Lough Corrib to the east of Oughterard, can look forward to a more secure and reliable water supply in the coming months. That is as news comes of the commencement of a programme of works to replace a significant section of aging water mains in the area with new, modern pipes. 

Crews will be on site in Portacarron from Monday next, 28 April, working to replace 642 metres of water main at sites along the L-5350-6, L-5350-9 and L-53502-0 roads. The works will be carried out on behalf of Uisce Éireann by Farrans Construction and are expected to be completed by late summer. 

Areas of work will be limited to short sections at a time to minimise disruption to residents. Some traffic management measures will be put in place in the form of local road closures. These closures will be communicated to residents well ahead of time, while local and emergency traffic will always be maintained. 

The works may also involve some short-term water interruptions; affected customers will be given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice before any planned interruptions. The works will also involve laying new water service connections from the public water main in the road to customers’ property boundaries and connecting it to the customers’ water supply. 

This programme of works is being carried out as part of Uisce Éireann’s national Leakage Reduction Programme (LRP), which aims to significantly reduce the volume of clean drinking water lost to the network through leakage before ever arriving in customers’ taps. 

The works will benefit the residents of Portacarron and the surrounding areas not only by ensuring a more secure, reliable water supply, but by providing improved water network operation that will require less maintenance in the future. 

Enda Mac Namara, programme manager with Uisce Éireann, said that customers in Portacarron can be assured of a more secure and reliable supply of drinking water as a result of these main replacement works. 

“Not only will these upgrades result in fewer leaks and a reduced risk of contamination, but the new pipes will also significantly lower the instances of bursts and outages on the network, leading to a more secure supply for the community of Portacarron,” said Enda. 

“Finding and fixing leaks in the network is an ongoing challenge for us at Uisce Eireann but it is one we are firmly committed to meeting.” 

Since 2018, Uisce Éireann has invested more than €500 million to upgrade the underground water network across the country through the delivery of the national

Leakage Reduction Programme. Uisce Éireann is investing a further €250 million every year up to the end of 2030 – fixing leaks and replacing pipes to provide a more reliable water supply. Uisce Éireann is on target to reduce the national rate of leakage to 25% by 2030, from a high point of 46% in 2018. 

For more information on the Leakage Reduction Programme please visit our website. Members of the public can report any leaks in the public water network by contacting Uisce Éireann at 1800 278 278 or online at Report a Leak.