Boost for Bagenalstown as Uisce Éireann improvement works get underway

16 February 2024

Uisce Éireann’s commitment to improving the water supply and reducing interruptions to supply for the people of County Carlow continues, with another significant project getting underway in Bagenalstown.

Crews will be arriving in the town centre next week to get to work replacing almost 2.5km of aged cast iron water mains with new modern pipes. These improvement works are a critical step in conserving water and reducing high levels of leakage which have been a significant source of disruption and outages for customers in the area. Works will commence on Kilcarrig Street and Market Square and progress to Long Range Road to allow for works to take place outside the National School during the Easter break to minimise disruption.

Following the Easter Break, these improvement works will continue along Regent Street, High Street, Main Street, Kilree Street, Church Road, Pump Street, Fairgreen West, Barrett Street, St. Brigid’s Crescent, Hotel Street and The Parade. Some properties with existing aged backyard services will be connected to the newly installed watermain in the public domain as part of this project.

Customers to benefit from backyard service replacement works will be contacted directly by Shareridge Ltd, who are carrying out the works on behalf of Uisce Éireann, to provide further information and to discuss a suitable time to carry out the individual surveys required to progress with the improvement works. 

The delivery of these essential works will provide a more secure water supply for the area, by minimising the frequency of bursts, improving water quality, and improving the resilience of the network.

Speaking about the benefits of the project, Uisce Éireann’s Networks Regional Lead Dave Murphy, said: “Aged cast iron watermains are a huge source of leakage and continue to impact communities right across Ireland, causing low pressure and supply disruption. Replacing these problematic water mains and service connections will eliminate existing leaks and significantly reduce the amount of clean drinking water lost into the ground. We would like to thank the residents in Bagenalstown for facilitating these works and working with us to provide a more secure and reliable water supply for generations to come. We’re looking forward to getting started on this important project in the coming days with works due to be complete in October of this year.”

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. 

Areas of works will be limited to short sections to minimise impact on customers. Traffic management will be in place in the form of a Stop and Go one-lane system for the majority of the works and road closures may be required to deliver the works safely and efficiently in certain areas. Diversions if required will be communicated locally, however, local and emergency access will always be maintained. 

“We would like to thank the people of Bagenalstown for their cooperation while we work to deliver these new watermains and associated lasting benefits,” added Dave.

Chairperson of Bagenalstown Area Chamber of Business and Tourism, Colin Rea, has welcomed this significant investment by Uisce Éireann in the town.

“This project is an important milestone for the future of Bagenalstown. It will significantly reduce the risk of ongoing unplanned outages in the town and improve water quality delivered to homes and businesses. We have met with Uisce Éireann’s project team and discussed the works at length and we will continue to work together to get this programme delivered as quickly and safely as possible,” he said.

This project is one example of how Uisce Éireann is working in partnership with Carlow County Council to reduce leaks every day. Fixing leaks can be complicated. We have over 63,000 km of water pipes underground in Ireland – enough to circle the earth one and a half times. 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 2022 it was 37%. We are on track to achieve a national leakage rate of 25% by the end of 2030.  

For more information visit our National Leakage Reduction Programme project page.

Uisce Éireann is committed to enabling communities across Carlow to thrive by continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support sustainable growth and development, providing safe drinking water, and enhancing the environment.Significant upgrade works are progressing at Bagenalstown Wastewater Treatment Plant, which will more than double the current treatment capacity, increasing from a population equivalent of 4,500 to 9,800. It will also substantially improve the treatment processes at the existing wastewater treatment plant with works due to be complete next year. 

To find out more visit www.water.ie.