An improved water supply for Mullingar customers as Uisce Éireann completes essential mains replacement works in the town

07 January 2021

Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Westmeath County Council, has completed a programme of works in Kilpatrick, Ballinea in Mullingar to improve the security of supply for customers and reduce high levels of leakage in the town.

The works involved the replacement of almost 800 meters of old and problematic water mains that were prone to frequent bursts and leakage, causing water supply disruptions for customers. These were replaced with new, high-density, polyethylene (plastic) pipes. Customers in the area are now enjoying a more secure water supply with fewer water outages due to bursts and leaks.

Speaking about the project, Matt Thomson, Uisce Éireann, said “These mains replacement works are part of a significant investment by Uisce Éireann to upgrade the water network in Westmeath. There was a history of leaks and supply disruptions in the Kilpatrick, Ballinea area in Mullingar and last September, we began decommissioning and replacing almost 800 metres of problematic water mains as well as laying new water service connections from the public water main to customers’ property boundaries and connecting them to the customer’s water supply. We are delighted to announce that these works have been successfully completed and customers in the area can now enjoy an improved and more secure water supply for years to come. We would like to thank the local community for their patience and cooperation while we delivered this essential project to safeguard the water supply in Mullingar”.

This project is one example of how Uisce Éireann is working in partnership with Westmeath County Council to reduce leaks every day. Fixing leaks can be complicated with over 63,000km of water pipe in Ireland. Our National Leakage Reduction Programme will see €500 million invested up to the end of 2021 to reduce the level of leakage across the country by fixing and replacing old and damaged 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 the National Leakage Reduction Programme section of our website.

Uisce Éireann continues to work during the COVID-19 global pandemic 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 advice and ensure frequent handwashing.