Upgrades to provide a stronger, more reliable water supply for Sutton completed
Families and businesses in Sutton, are now benefiting from a stronger, more dependable water supply as Uisce Éireann has completed important upgrade works on the local water network. These improvements are all about supporting everyday life in the community, whether it's putting the kettle on in the morning, running a local business, or keeping community services flowing smoothly with clean, reliable water.
As part of this project, Uisce Éireann decommissioned ageing backyard water mains and installed almost 250 metres of new modern water mains along Station Road, Burrow. New individual service connections have also been provided for customers. These improvements will help reduce leakage, improve network performance and provide a more reliable water supply for customers in the area.
In some older estates, water connections, typically made of iron or lead, were installed to the rear of properties and are often referred to as backyard service connections. Due to their age and deterioration, these pipes can be a significant source of leakage. Backyard water services are usually shared, running through neighbouring properties, making leaks difficult to detect and repair. As properties may share a connection, leaks and bursts can affect multiple homes in a neighbourhood and may result in low water pressure.
The replacement of these older connections will improve network performance, reduce the likelihood of bursts and leaks, and help deliver a more reliable water supply for local homes and businesses.
Declan Healy, Programme Manager with Uisce Éireann, is proud to be part of the team who has delivered these long-term benefits for the community.
“These upgrades are an important part of delivering a water service built to last. By replacing ageing pipes and backyard service connections with modern, resilient infrastructure, we're improving water services today while strengthening resilience for the future."
“The replacement of these older connections will help reduce leakage, improve network performance and deliver a more reliable supply for customers. We're grateful to the local community for their patience and support while these essential upgrades were carried out.”
This upgrade is just one example of how Uisce Éireann is tackling leakage across the country. With more than 65,000kms of underground water mains, enough to circle the earth one and a half times, finding and fixing leaks can be challenging, especially when they are hidden. But progress is being made. National leakage is now at its lowest level ever, reduced from 49% in 2014 to 36% today.
To learn more, visit our National Leakage Reduction Programme page.
Previous Updates
Uisce Éireann has begun essential water main replacement works in Sutton that will provide a more reliable water supply for local homes and businesses, reduce the risk of bursts and outages, and help conserve treated drinking water by significantly reducing leakage in the area.
As part of the works, our crews will be replacing ageing backyard water mains and delivering almost 250m of new modern pipes along Station Road, Burrow in Sutton.
Backyard service replacements are a crucial element of our national Leakage Reduction Programme. By decommissioning these old, shared backyard services and replacing them with modern, durable water mains, a significant source of hidden leakage is eliminated. This means more water stays in the network, pressure improves for homes and businesses, and less treated drinking water is wasted.
In some older neighbourhoods, water connections were installed to the rear of properties and shared between households. These backyard services, often made of iron or lead, have aged significantly, making them prone to leaks, bursts and reduced pressure. Because they run through several gardens, they are difficult to access and repair, and one home’s supply cannot be switched off without affecting others. Replacing these shared arrangements with modern individual connections at the front of each home provides safer, more reliable water for every household.
Speaking about the project, Declan Healy of Uisce Éireann, said, "These works are about delivering real benefits for the people who live and work in Sutton. By replacing ageing infrastructure, we can improve the reliability of the local water supply, reduce the likelihood of bursts and outages, and make the network more resilient for the future."
"We would like to thank the local community in advance for their patience and cooperation while we deliver these essential water network improvements."
Crews will work home by home, collaborating with customers to ensure new connections are installed with minimal disruption. The works will be carried out on behalf of Uisce Éireann by GMC Utilities Group and are expected to be completed by the end of September, with permanent reinstatement to follow later in the year. We have measures in place to keep disruption to an absolute minimum but, to protect the public and our crews, a traffic management system will be in place during the works. Local and emergency traffic will always be maintained.
This project is one example of how Uisce Éireann works every day to reduce leaks. With more than 65,000 km of underground pipes nationally- enough to circle the earth one and a half times - fixing leaks can be complicated. Many are hidden, but we are making progress: National leakage is now at its lowest level ever, reduced from 49% in 2014 to 36% today.
To learn more, visit our National Leakage Reduction Programme page.
Water Service Updates
Sign up for our free text service to be kept informed of water outages and works in your area.