Final phase of works progress in Greystones to provide a more reliable water supply
06 December 2021
Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Wicklow County Council, is progressing with its final phase of works in Greystones to improve the water supply and drive down high levels of leakage. The works form part of a significant and intensive programme to reduce the number of bursts and outages impacting customers, improve water quality and provide a more reliable water supply to homes and businesses.
The works will involve the decommissioning of the old cast iron water main at Delgany which is prone to bursts and leakage, causing supply disruptions to customers in the surrounding areas. It will be replaced with modern pipework that has been installed by Uisce Éireann during recent months. To reduce the impact on customers, works will be carried out during night-time hours when water usage is at a minimum, and are scheduled to take place from 9pm on Thursday, 9 December until 6.30am on Friday, 10 December. During these hours, and to facilitate the safe delivery of the works, some customers in Greystones and surrounding areas will experience a disruption to their supply to include low pressure and/or outages. Crews will make every effort to maintain supply to as many customers as possible through reconfiguring the network, however, some customers, especially those located on higher ground and extremities of the network, will be impacted. It typically takes two to three hours following restoration time for the network to refill and normal water supply to fully return. Customers can find helpful tips and advice on how to prepare for planned works and avoid issues with their water supply by visiting the Prepare for planned works section of our website.
Some traffic management may be necessary, however, local and emergency access will be maintained.
Speaking about the project Joe Carroll, Water Network Programme Lead with Uisce Éireann, said: “Uisce Éireann recognised that Greystones had a high level of leakage that was disrupting the water supply to customers and so began a targeted and intensive campaign to replace old and broken water mains and improve their water supply. Reducing leakage is not just about replacing old pipes or fixing bursts, it involves detailed planning, collaboration and a number of different work streams which will make the most impact on leakage levels in a given area. Visible bursts on the pipes are easy to find and fix, but hidden, underground leaks are a bigger challenge.
Acknowledging the support of the local community, Joe added: “We would like to thank businesses, homeowners, commuters and visitors for their patience and cooperation to date while we continue to deliver these vital water network improvements to provide the Greystones community with a more reliable water supply”.
Uisce Éireann and Wicklow County Council regret any inconvenience these essential works may cause. 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 our 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.