A safer, more reliable water supply on the horizon for Rahan, Co. Offaly
06 January 2022
Homes and businesses in Rahan, Co. Offaly can look forward to a more reliable water supply with a further phase of water mains upgrade works due to get underway in the coming days.
Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Offaly County Council, is replacing 5km of aging water mains between Agall Pumping Station and the N52 road, and between the N52 and the Holmshill Road with new modern pipes to provide a more safe, secure and reliable water supply for the area. 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.
These works follow the completion last month of a project which involved the replacement of almost 8km of aging water mains between Newtown and Rahan, further reducing high levels of leakage and significantly improving the local water supply for customers.
Both projects will deliver significant improvements in the network performance and levels of service for customers in this area in terms of efficiency, reliability and security of supply.
Outlining the benefits of these works Joe Carroll, Uisce Éireann, explained: “The works will involve the construction of approximately 5km of new water mains to supplement the existing network between Agall Pumping Station and the N52 road, and also between the N52 to the Holmshill Road. The new water mains will reduce the high level of leakage in the area and will increase security of supply and reliability. Traffic management will be necessary and includes a road closure on the Holmshill Road, details of which will be communicated locally as the project progresses. Local and emergency access will be maintained at all times.
“The works may involve some short-term water interruptions and the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any planned water interruptions. We understand that this type of work can be inconvenient and works crews will make every effort to minimise any disruption these necessary works cause.
“These ongoing projects are part of a significant investment by Uisce Éireann to upgrade the water network in Offaly and we would like to thank customers for their continued cooperation and patience while we continue to upgrade and improve the water supply across the county.”
The works will be delivered by Ward & Burke Construction on behalf of Uisce Éireann and are expected to be completed in April 2022.
A further tranche of works is also due to get under way next week in the Fahy area which will see the replacement of 500 metres of problematic water mains with new modern pipes. These works and expected to be completed in early February.
These projects represent a significant investment by Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Offaly County Council, to upgrade Offaly’s water network and reduce high levels of leakage. 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%, it had reduced further to 40% at the end of 2020 and we are currently on course to achieving a national leakage rate of 38%. For more information on reducing leaks visit our National Leakage Reduction Programme page.
Customers can phone Uisce Éireann on 1800 278 278 with any questions about the project or check out the Water Supply Updates section of our website.
Uisce Éireann is responsible for the delivery of all public water and wastewater services in Ireland. We are committed to continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support the growth needed in housing and across our economy, while protecting the environment and safeguarding water supplies.