Knocktopher set for improved water supply as problematic water mains due to be replaced

03 February 2022

The village of Knocktopher in county Kilkenny will soon enjoy a more reliable and consistent water supply as Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Kilkenny County Council are set to replace approximately 1350 metres of aged cast iron water mains with new modern pipes. The programme to replace the water mains in Knocktopher Village will commence in early February and will be completed in April.

The exact location for the works will be between the Knocktopher Village road sign approximately 150m north of Carrolls Centra, through Knocktopher Village to the Thomastown road junction adjacent to Scoil Aireagail, with the contractor, Shareridge working with the local community and businesses to ensure minimum disruption.

Speaking about the works, Uisce Éireann’s Programme Delivery Lead, Joe Carroll said;

“These works are extremely important for the community and businesses of the village and surrounding areas. They will improve the water supply significantly in the area and provide some capacity for development through the reduction of the leakage on the network. We are appealing to the local community to bear with us as we carry out the works as they will involve laying new water service connections from the public water main in the road to customers property boundaries and connecting it to the customers’ water supply.

“Where the existing service connections on the public side are lead; these will be replaced as part of this improvement work. It is a good news day for Knocktopher and we are pleased to be in a position to prioritise these works.”

The benefits of these leakage reduction works include a more reliable water supply, as the replacement of water mains and service connections will reduce the instances of bursts and water outages ensuring a more reliable supply of water to customers and local businesses in the area. The replacement of water mains and service connections will eliminate existing leaks and reduce the amount of clean drinking water lost into the ground. Removing existing old cast iron and lead from the public water network and replacing them with new pipes will reduce the risk of contamination. 

And also the improved operation and maintenance will deliver efficiencies including cost savings by providing improved water network operation that will require less maintenance in the future

Uisce Éireann’s 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 or set your location on our website.

Uisce Éireann has invested over €500 million between 2017 and the end of 2021 to reduce leakage and replace old pipes on the public water network. 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%.