Fenit Village set to enjoy more reliable water supply

27 January 2023

Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Kerry County Council, is replacing approximately 3km of old damaged water mains in Fenit, Co Kerry that were prone to frequent bursts and leakage which caused water supply disruptions for customers in the area. 

The works, which will be carried out by Ward and Burke Construction, will take place in Fenit Village from early February and will be completed by the end of June.   

Commenting on the project, Steven Blennerhassett of Uisce Éireann said: “This watermains replacement work is part of a significant investment by Uisce Éireann to upgrade the water network in Kerry and we would like to thank customers in advance for their cooperation and patience while we complete this essential project. In late 2022, we also replaced just over 1km of old water mains in Kilfenora, Fenit. With another 3km of water mains now to be replaced, the people of Fenit will have a more reliable water supply for years to come."  

Steven added: “The replacement of these old pipes will have a positive impact on the daily lives of the local community. Operational and maintenance costs will also be reduced as the network operation will require less maintenance. To facilitate the safe delivery of the works, there will be some short-term local road closures and traffic management in place during the works. The community will be notified of this in advance and alternative routes will be clearly sign-posted. Local and emergency access will be maintained at all times."  

“Customers can phone Uisce Éireann on 1800 278 278 if they have any questions about the project or check out the Supply and Service Updates section of the Uisce Éireann website for regular updates”.

The section of works will take place in Fenit Village between the R558 from its junction with Talaught Road by Bay Beach, to Wild Water Adventures. Works will also take place on the following local roads: Talaught Lane, Island View, Castleview and the Main Road from its junction with R558 to its junction with Island Road before continuing southbound towards Fenit Strand.

The works may involve some short-term water outages and the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any planned water shut offs. Uisce Éireann understands that this type of work can be inconvenient and work crews will make every effort to minimise any disruption these works cause.

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. Where the existing service connections on the public side are lead these are being replaced.

This project is one example of how Uisce Éireann is working in partnership with Kerry County Council to reduce leaks every day. Since 2018, Irish Water has invested over €500 million to upgrade the underground water network across the country through the delivery of the 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 reducing leaks visit our National Leakage Reduction Programme page.

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.