Good news for Westmeath as upgrades on the way for Moyleroe Little

04 January 2023

Securing the water supply in Westmeath remains a top priority for Uisce Éireann as the intensive campaign continues to drive down leakage across the county and improve the water supply to homes and businesses.

These projects are being delivered as part of Uisce Éireann’s national Leakage Reduction Programme which continues to deliver significant benefits to communities across Ireland, including improved water quality, a more secure water supply and considerable water savings.

Working in partnership with Westmeath County Council, Uisce Éireann is replacing over 1.3km of old and damaged water mains in Moyleroe Little, with works due to begin in the coming days. Replacing these old, damaged pipes with new, modern pipework will greatly reduce the instances of bursts, outages, and low-pressure affecting customers in the area. These works will also deliver cost savings by providing improved water network operations that will require less maintenance into the future.

Highlighting the importance of these upgrades, Matt Thomson, Regional Delivery Lead at Uisce Éireann said, “We are delighted to announce this major investment for Westmeath. Replacing these old and damaged pipes is a first step in tackling low water pressure, bursts, and leakage issues which have been affecting homes and businesses. 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 current and future generations.”

Matt added, “On behalf of Uisce Éireann, I’d like to thank the local community in advance for their patience and cooperation as traffic management will be necessary as the project progresses, 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 project 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.

To minimise the impact on the local community, works will be delivered on a phased basis with areas of work limited to short sections. There will be a road closure along the L5533, with temporary traffic lights in place along the N52 for the duration of the works. Local and emergency traffic will be maintained at all times. The project is being carried out by GMC Utilities Ltd on behalf of Uisce Éireann and is expected to be completed by the end of March.

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 Water Supply 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.