Drumkeen, Donegal to benefit from leakage reduction works

25 April 2023

As part of its commitment to upgrade and improve water supplies across the North West, Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Donegal County Council, is delighted to announce, it is replacing approximately 1,300m of aged water mains with new modern pipes in Aughagault, Drumkeen, County Donegal.   

Uisce Éireann crews will arrive in Aughagault, Drumkeen in the coming week to begin work on replacing 1,300m of old water mains which are susceptible to regular bursts. 

Uisce Éireann’s Programme Manager Declan Cawley is looking forward to getting this Donegal project underway. 

“Fewer bursts and less leakage mean a stronger supply for homes and businesses. Securing Drumkeen’s water supply is a priority for Uisce Éireann and it is great to see this work commencing which will reduce the risk of outages from bursts now and into the future." 

Farrans Construction will carry out the works on behalf of Uisce Éireann which will be completed in July. 

The new pipes will be installed from the N13 crossroads in Callan and will run along the L6734 until the junction in Aughagault Big. Once operational the new pipes will put a stop to bursts, outages and leakage and give customers much more confidence in their local water supply. 

In order to carry out the works safety, a road closure will be required on the L6734 for the duration of the project. A signed posted diversion will be place and local and emergency traffic will be accommodated at all times.

The essential works may involve some short-term water interruptions, but the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any planned interruptions. 

Declan continued: “We understand that this type of work is inconvenient, and our crews will make every effort to minimise disruption as much as possible. These works are essential for the community of Drumkeen and the long-term benefits will far outweigh any short-term inconvenience. We thank the community for their patience and co-operation.” 

This project forms part of Uisce Eireann’s National Leakage Reduction Programme and will help Uisce Éireann achieve our 2030 goal of a national leakage rate of 25%. The National Leakage Reduction team has made great strides since 2018 when the leakage rate stood at 46%. 

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 on the national Leakage Reduction Programme, please visit our National Leakage Reduction Programme page.