Market Street Lane Water Mains Replacement/Back Yard Services
National Leakage Reduction Programme
Uisce Éireann, in partnership with Waterford County Council, is replacing a section of problematic water mains and replacing back yard service connections on Market Street Lane, Tramore, to improve security of supply, reduce high levels of leakage and improve water quality.
Uisce Éireann is investing over €500 million between 2017- 2021 to reduce leakage and replace old pipes on the public water network. The benefits of this programme are:
- Replacing old pipes to reduce drinking water lost by leakage
- Fixing leaks to reduce disruption from bursts and outages
- Improving water quality
- Delivering savings on operation and maintenance of the network
In some older properties water connections were installed to the rear of the property, often referred to as backyard service connections. The pipework is typically made of cast iron or lead and due to age and deterioration is a significant source of leakage. Back yard services are usually shared, running through a number of neighbouring properties, making it difficult to detect and repair leaks. Since all properties share a connection, leaks and bursts affect all properties and usually result in low pressure.
The works on Market Street Lane will involve the construction of approximately 30 metres of new public water main and provision of 5 new service connections for properties on Market Street Lane. These works will also remove lead services at the affected properties.
The programme to replace the problematic water mains on this section of Market Street Lane will commence in late April 2021. These works are being carried out as part of Uisce Éireann's National Leakage Reduction Programme.
The works will be carried out on behalf of Uisce Éireann by Coffey Eng Tec Limited and are expected to be completed in early May.
What are the benefits of the works?
The benefits of the leakage reduction works include:
• A Reliable Water Supply - Replacement of water mains and service connections will reduce the instances of bursts and water outages and will ensure a reliable supply of water to customers and local businesses in the area.
• Reduced Leaks - Replacement of water mains and service connections will eliminate existing leaks and reduce the amount of clean drinking water lost into the ground.
• Improved water quality - removing existing old cast iron from the public water network and replacing them with new plastic pipes will reduce the risk of contamination.
• Improved Operation and Maintenance - These works will deliver cost savings by providing improved water network operation that will require less maintenance in the future.
Will customers be affected by the works?
Areas of work will be limited to short sections to minimise impact on customers. Traffic management may be in place during this time. Temporary closure of a number of parking bays on Market Street Lane will be required while works are completed. Local access will be maintained.
The works may involve some short-term water shut offs and the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours notice prior to any planned water shut offs.
We understand that this type of work can be inconvenient and work crews will make every effort to minimise any disruption these necessary works cause.
