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Essential water main replacement works progressing in Clara, Co Offaly to safeguard the water supply and reduce high levels of leakage

17 February 2021

Water, working in partnership with Offaly County Council, is progressing with essential water main replacement works in Clara to safeguard the water supply and reduce high levels of leakage in the area.

The works involve the replacement of almost 300 metres of old, problematic water mains along Brendan Street in Clara with new, high density polyethylene (plastic) pipes. The works will 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. Where the existing service connections on the public side are lead, these will be replaced as part of this improvement work. The works, which are scheduled to begin on Monday 22 February, will be carried out by Ward and Burke Ltd. on behalf of Uisce Éireann and are expected to be completed in March 2021. These essential works will be delivered in adherence with the current HSE and government guidance on Covid-19.

To facilitate the safe delivery of these works, some traffic management will be in place, however, local and emergency access will be maintained. To minimise the impact on customers, areas of work will be limited to short sections. The works may involve some short-term supply disruptions, however, the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any planned water shut-off’s. Uisce Éireann and Offaly County Council regret any inconvenience these improvement works may cause.

Speaking about the project, Joe Carroll, Uisce Éireann, said “We understand that this type of work can be inconvenient and will ensure our work crews make every effort to minimise any disruption these works may cause. We would like to thank the local community for their patience and cooperation while we deliver this vital water network improvement project to safeguard the water supply in Clara”.

This project is one 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. Our National Leakage Reduction Programme will see €500 million invested up to the end of 2021 to reduce the level of leakage across the country by fixing and replacing old and damaged water mains. This will ensure a safe, reliable water supply which is vital for our health, our environment and our growing population and economy.

Our 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 our 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.