Boost to Drumkeen and St Johnston as water supply upgrade now complete

29 August 2023

Conserving water and driving down leakage continues to remain a priority for Uisce Éireann with leakage reduction works continuing throughout Donegal.  

Aughagault, Drumkeen and St Johnston are two communities which have recently benefitted from significant upgrade works with over 4km of old and leaking water pipes recently replaced. 

Working in partnership with Donegal County Council, Uisce Éireann recently prioritised the replacement of more than 1.3km of old and damaged water mains in Drumkeen and 2.9km of cast iron water mains in St Johnston. These works are critical in conserving precious water resources and reducing high levels of leakage which have been a significant source of disruption and outages for customers in the area.

Outlining the benefits that the completion of these works in Drumkeen and St Johnston will bring Declan Cawley, Uisce Éireann Regional Lead said: “Many of the old and damaged pipes in Drumkeen and St Johnston were prone to bursts and high levels of leakage, causing supply challenges for homes and businesses. Replacing these old and damaged pipes with modern pipes reduces drinking water lost by leakage, improves water quality particularly where cast iron mains were replaced and brings an all-round improvement to the water network for businesses, residents, and visitors to these communities." 

Declan continued: “Uisce Éireann has invested significantly in Donegal with more than 150km of old and damaged water mains replaced across the county, that’s enough pipe to cover the distance from St Johnston to Malin Head and back. Building on the work already completed which amasses to more than 53 million litres of water saved since 2018, we are delighted to add Drumkeen and St Johnston to the list of locations now with new and improved pipework.” 

The works in Drumkeen and St Johnston are one example of how Uisce Éireann is working in partnership with Local Authorities to reduce leakage and provide a more reliable water supply.  Fixing leaks can be complicated 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.

We are committed to enabling communities to thrive by continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support sustainable growth and development, providing safe drinking water, and enhancing the environment. Since 2018, Uisce Éireann has invested more than €500 million to upgrade the underground water network across the country through the delivery of the national Leakage Reduction Programme. We are investing a further €250 million every year up to the end of 2030 - fixing leaks and replacing pipes to provide a more reliable water supply.