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Crews continue to drive down leakage across Dublin with further upgrades planned for Blackrock

25 August 2022

Securing the water supply in Dublin remains a top priority for Uisce Éireann as the intensive campaign continues to drive down leakage and improve the water supply to homes and businesses.

Uisce Éireann, in partnership with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, is replacing old and problematic water mains in Blackrock to provide a more reliable water supply, reduce high levels of leakage and improve water quality.

This project is being delivered as part of Uisce Éireann’s national Leakage Reduction Programme which is delivering significant benefits to local communities across Ireland including improved water quality, a more secure water supply and considerable water savings.

The project, which represents a significant investment by Uisce Éireann, will begin on Monday 29 August and involves the replacement of over 150 meters of old and damaged, cast iron water mains with new modern pipes along Idrone Lane in Blackrock. Cast iron mains can, over time, become encrusted which can significantly impact water quality and pressure. Replacing these old, damaged pipes with new, modern pipework will greatly improve water quality and reduce the instances of bursts, outages and low-pressure affecting customers.

Highlighting the importance of these upgrades, Matt Thomson, Leakage Reduction Programme Regional Lead with Uisce Éireann, said, “We are delighted to announce this important investment in Blackrock. Replacing these old and damaged, cast-iron pipes is a first step in tackling water quality, pressure and leakage issues which have been affecting homes and businesses. The works will not only reduce the amount of drinking water lost to leakage, it will also significantly improve water quality for the local community as well as delivering a much more reliable supply for generations to come."

On behalf of Uisce Éireann, I’d like thank the local community in advance for their patience and cooperation as traffic management will be necessary as the project progresses, however, based on previous experience, we know that the short-term inconvenience will be overshadowed by the long-term benefits.”

To minimise the impact on the local community, the project will be carried out in phases, with areas of work limited to short sections. Traffic management will be in place to ensure the health and safety of crews and will be communicated locally and signposted on approach.

The works also involve laying new water service connections from the public water main in the road to customers’ property boundaries and connecting it to the customer’s water supply. The works may involve some short-term supply interruptions which we understand may cause inconvenience, however, the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any planned water interruptions. 

The project is being delivered on behalf of Uisce Éireann by GMC Utilities Group and is expected to be completed by the end of September.  

Fixing leaks can be complicated but we are making progress. In 2018 the rate of leakage nationally was 46%, by the end of 2021 it was reduced to 38%. We are on track to achieve a national leakage rate of 25% by the end of 2030. For more information, please visit our National Leakage Reduction Programme page.

The Uisce Éireann customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on Twitter @IWCare with any queries. For updates please visit the Supply and Service Updates section of the Uisce Éireann website.

Uisce Éireann is responsible for the delivery of all public water and wastewater services in Ireland. We are committed to continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support the growth needed in housing and across our economy, while protecting the environment and safeguarding water supplies.