Crews continue to drive down leakage across Westmeath with upgrades on the way for Castlepollard

08 March 2023

A further 2.3km of old and damaged water mains to be replaced from Kiltoome to Coole Village.

Securing the water supply in Westmeath 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. These projects continue to be delivered as part of Uisce Éireann ’s national Leakage Reduction Programme which is delivering a more secure and reliable water supply to communities right across Ireland.

Uisce Éireann is delighted to announce that a further 2.3km of replacement works to aged and problematic water mains are underway from Kiltoome to Coole Village along the L1826, up to the R395 intersection. These works, which represent a significant investment by Uisce Éireann, are in addition to the recently completed works, involving the replacement of 4km of old water mains along the L1826 and 2km along the L5744 in Loughpark, Castlepollard which are now completed.

Ageing pipes can, over time, significantly impact water quality, leakage levels, and pressure. Replacing these old, damaged pipes will greatly reduce the high levels of leakage, interruptions, 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 that this major investment for the local community in Kiltoome, Castlepollard is progressing well and that further upgrades are on the way. The works will not only reduce the amount of drinking water lost to leakage but will also deliver a much more reliable water supply for generations to come."

“To minimise the impact on the local community, we are delivering these works on a phased basis with areas of work limited to short sections.”

Matt added “On behalf of Uisce Éireann, I would like thank the people of Castlepollard for their ongoing patience and cooperation as traffic management will be necessary as the additional replacement works progress. However, based on previous experiences, we know that the short-term inconvenience will be overshadowed by the long-term benefits.”

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 in May.

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.