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Communities of Newtown and Clonin in Co. Offaly enjoying an improved water supply as Uisce Éireann completes programme of works in both areas

17 November 2020

Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Offaly County Council, has completed a programme of works in Newtown and Clonin in Co. Offaly, improving the water quality and supply to homes and businesses in both areas. The works also reduced high levels of leakage by replacing old and damaged water mains which were prone to frequent bursts, and replacing them new high density, polyethylene (plastic) pipes.

The works, which took place along the L-6027-2 and L-7020-10 in Newtown and the L10104 in Clonin, involved the construction of almost 1.5km of new water mains and were carried out in line with stringent COVID-19 measures. Ward and Burke Limited carried out the works on behalf of Uisce Éireann.

To date, Uisce Éireann and Offaly County Council have saved over 8 million litres of water daily across Co. Offaly, enough water to supply over 63,000 people per day, as a result of leakage reduction and repair works in several towns and villages across the county. This has significantly reduced the number of bursts and water outages, resulting in a more reliable water supply for customers.

Speaking about the works Joe Carroll, Regional Lead with Uisce Éireann, said “These upgrades are part of a significant investment by Uisce Éireann to upgrade the water network in Offaly. Since 2018, as part of the Leakage Reduction Programme, we have delivered almost 30km of new water mains, providing a more secure and reliable water supply to homes and businesses across the county. We would like to thank customers for their patience and cooperation as we continue to deliver these vital network improvements and safeguard the water supply now and into the future”.

These works are an example of how Uisce Éireann is working in partnership with Offaly County 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 we are currently on course to achieving a national leakage rate of 38% by 2021.

The National Leakage Reduction Programme which will see €500 million invested up to the end of 2021 helps to reduce the level of leakage across the country by fixing and replacing old 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 the Uisce Éireann website.

Uisce Éireann continues to work 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 COVID-19 advice and ensure frequent handwashing.