Conserving Carrigan’s water supply and driving down leakage

12 September 2023

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

Carrigan’s is one such community which has recently benefitted from significant upgrade works with over 3.2km of old and leaking water pipes recently replaced. 

Working in partnership with Sligo County Council, Uisce Éireann recently prioritised the replacement of more than 3.2km of old and damaged water mains in Carrigan’s. 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 Carrigan’s will bring Declan Cawley, Uisce Éireann Regional Lead said: “Many of the old and damaged pipes in Carrigan’s 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, brings an all-round improvement to the water network for businesses, residents, and visitors to these communities."

Declan continued: “We would like to thank the community for their patience and co-operation while the works were being undertaken. Uisce Éireann has invested significantly in Sligo with close to 9km of old and damaged water mains replaced across the county this year alone, with more works planned over the coming months. Building on the work already completed, we are delighted to add Carrigan’s to the list of locations now with new and improved pipework.” 

The works in Carrigan’s is 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. 

For more information, please visit our National Leakage Redctiion Programme page.