Upgrading the water network in Newtown Co. Offaly to improve the water supply and reduce leakage
Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Offaly County Council, is progressing with water main improvement works in Newtown, to improve the security of supply and reduce high levels of leakage.
About the works
The works, which are due to begin on Monday 12 October, will take place along the L-6027-2 and L-7020-10 in Newtown and involve the replacement of approximately 650m of old and problematic water mains that are prone to frequent bursts and leakage. The mains will be replaced with new, high-density, polyethylene (plastic) pipes which will improve water quality and provide the community with a more reliable supply of water.
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 customer's water supply. Where the existing service connections on the public side are lead these will be replaced as part of this improvement work.
Speaking about the project Joe Carroll, Regional Lead with Uisce Éireann, said "These upgrades are part of a significant investment by Uisce Éireann to upgrade the water network in Offaly. To date, as part of the Leakage Reduction Programme, we have delivered almost 25km of new water mains and improved the water supply for more than 28,000 customers in County Offaly since 2018. Replacing old, damaged pipes will reduce the instances of bursts and water outages and safeguard that water supply for homes and businesses now and into the future."
During the works
The works may involve some short-term water shut-offs and traffic management measures which we understand may cause inconvenience. The project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours' notice prior to any planned water shut-offs and local and emergency access will be maintained at all times. Uisce Éireann and Offaly County Council regret any inconvenience these necessary works may cause. The works will be carried out on behalf of Uisce Éireann by Ward and Burke Ltd. and are expected to be completed by December 2020.
Reducing leakage
This project is one example of how Uisce Éireann is working in partnership with Offaly County Council to reduce leaks every day. Fixing leaks can be complicated with over 63,000km of water pipe in Ireland. These works are being carried out as part of Uisce Éireann's national Leakage Reduction Programme which will see €500 million invested up to the end of 2021 to reduce the level of leakage across the country by fixing and replacing ageing water mains. This will ensure a safe, reliable water supply which is vital for our health, our environment and our growing population and economy. For more information, please visit our Leakage Reduction Programme page.
Updates
Our customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on Twitter @IWCare with any queries. For updates please visit our Water Supply Updates section.
Uisce Éireann is working at this time with our Local Authority partners, contractors and others to safeguard the health and well-being of both staff and the public and to ensure the continuity of critical drinking water and wastewater services. Uisce Éireann would like to remind people to follow the HSE COVID-19 advice and ensure frequent handwashing.