200,000 litres of water saved every day following works in Galway

01 June 2021

Over 200,000 litres of water have been saved every day following a significant water main replacement project at the Moneenageisha Junction on the Old Dublin Road in Galway City. These essential works by Uisce Éireann, in partnership with Galway City Council, were carried out on a section of water main that has caused major inconvenience for local businesses and residents due to the frequency of bursts experienced in the area.

Approximately 120 metres of problematic, old water mains prone to bursts and leakage were replaced by Farran’s Construction Ltd over the course of March and April. The project was delayed due to unfavourable ground conditions and the complexity of the pipework at the junction but has been successfully completed resulting in a significant reduction in treated water lost to leaks.

In thanking the public for their cooperation and patience, Gerry O’Donnell, Uisce Éireann, said: “A saving of over 200,000 litres a day is significant and businesses and residents in this area will have noticed an immediate improvement in the consistency of their water supply as a result. For years they were seriously impacted by frequent bursts but we are pleased to have now completed this essential project. We thank the locals for their patience and cooperation.

“Uisce Éireann and Galway City Council would also like to thank our delivery partners, Farran’s Construction Ltd, for completing this project in difficult underground conditions and ensuring the operational performance of the road wasn’t impacted, for the benefit of our customers.

“These essential works will benefit residential and business customers in the area by strengthening and reinforcing the water network, and minimising disruptions to their water supply by reducing leakage and unplanned outages due to bursts on the water main,” continued Gerry.

This project is one example of how Uisce Éireann is working in partnership with Galway City Council to reduce leaks every day. Fixing leaks can be complicated with over 63,000km of water pipe in Ireland. Most leaks aren’t visible, resulting in precious water being lost but we are making progress. In 2018 the rate of leakage nationally was 46%, by the end of 2019 it was 42% and had reduced further to 40% at the end of 2020. We are currently on course to achieving a national leakage rate of 38% by 2021.

This mains replacement work is part of a significant investment by Uisce Éireann to upgrade the water network in Galway and we would like to thank customers for their cooperation and patience while we complete these essential projects.

Customers can phone Uisce Éireann on 1800 278 278 if they have any questions about the project or check out the Supply and Service Updates section of our website for regular updates.