Ministers visit Farranfore water project to hear about the benefits

06 September 2021

The 600mm main is part of the network, supplying water from Killarney to Tralee, Castleisland and Castlemaine

Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Kerry County Council, is delivering a project to replace a problematic trunk water main through Farranfore village on behalf of the people of Kerry. The 600mm main is part of the spine of the network in Kerry, supplying water from Killarney to Tralee, Castleisland, Castlemaine and surrounding areas. The section in Farranfore has burst numerous times in recent years. Works began early last week on the project. Minister Norma Foley and Minister Darragh O'Brien visited the site today to meet staff involved in delivering the project and view their work first hand.

Eamonn Hickson from Radio Kerry also visited the site last Thursday night, interviewing staff and seeing the works underway.

The works are being carried out during evening and night-time hours – from 7pm to 7am Monday evening to Friday morning and will continue until the end of October. To ensure as little disruption to homes, businesses, commuters and holiday makers as possible, Uisce Éireann, Kerry County Council and our contractor, Ward and Burke, have agreed that the works will be carried out by night. The N22 Killarney to Tralee road will have a one lane stop-go system in place from 7pm-7am, Monday to Friday from August 30 until the end of October 2021, with the road reopening fully during the day. No works will be carried out over the weekend for the duration of the works schedule.

An optional alternative route that bypasses the works will be signposted and vehicles may take the alternative routes if they wish.

It will come as no surprise to residents and businesses of the area that there have been regular bouts of unplanned outages in the recent past due to the aging network. The size and scale of this challenge, not only in Kerry but nationally, is well documented and reacting to this, Uisce Éireann is implementing their strategic plan, the Leakage Reduction Programme, to ensure security of supply, the reduction of high levels of leakage and the improvement of water quality in the county.

Steven Blennerhassett is Regional Delivery Lead with Uisce Éireann;

“We are delighted to welcome Minister Norma Foley and Minister Darragh O'Brien to site today to hear first-hand about our progress in delivering this project. These works are part of Uisce Éireann’s national Leakage Reduction Programme and began last Monday night and we have made great progress in the first week, with 190m of the 1km of new trunk main already installed.

“Eamonn Hickson from Radio Kerry visited on Thursday night and met staff from Uisce Éireann, Kerry County Council and Ward and Burke who gave him a tour of the works.

“Uisce Éireann understands these types of works can be inconvenient and we are working with Kerry County Council, our contractor Ward and Burke and all stakeholders to make every effort to minimise any disruption the works may cause.

“In order to ensure minimal disruption, our crews have finished and had the road cleared each weekday morning at 7am. Local businesses will remain open for the duration of the works. A minimum of 48 hours’ notice will be given ahead of any planned outages and at this stage, there will likely be two planned outages and that are both due to take place in October.”

As the works get underway in Farranfore, Uisce Éireann and colleagues in Kerry County Council continue to safeguard water supply right across the Kingdom and appreciate the cooperation of those impacted by the improvements.