Essential overnight restriction required for Ratoath and Kilbride to help reservoir levels recover
29 January 2024
Information below is relevant until further updates are provided here or on our Supply and Service Updates section.
Uisce Éireann appealing to all customers to conserve water wherever possible
Uisce Éireann continues working to address supply interruptions for customers in Ratoath and surrounding areas following recent weather events, bursts and continued high demand.
Water services crews continue to carry out the necessary works at our storage facilities and on the water network to conserve as much water as possible to ensure customers have a continued supply of water for essential services during the day.
As a result, an essential overnight restriction will be required tonight in Ratoath, Kilbride and surrounding areas to allow levels in the local reservoirs to increase. Customers in these areas will experience reduced pressure and/or outages from 10pm tonight until 6am tomorrow morning. It can take two to three hours following restoration of pressure for normal supply to be fully restored.
We are appealing to customers to help conserve water by not running taps needlessly, taking showers instead of baths and to postpone using dishwashers and washing machines where possible. Further information on water conservation is available on our Conservation page.
Customers are also urged to check our website and or report loss of service or visible leaks to assist Uisce Éireann to identify bursts. Live updates on outages are also available on X @IWCare.
Uisce Éireann continues to monitor reservoir levels and will provide a further update tomorrow if additional restrictions are needed.
Previous Updates
Water services crews have successfully completed repairs
Uisce Éireann is working to restore the water supply as quickly as possible to impacted customers in Ratoath, Kilbride, Ashbourne and surrounding areas following a burst to a large trunk water main earlier this evening.
Water services crews have successfully completed repairs and every effort is being made to reduce the impact on homes and businesses and restore normal water supply as quickly as possible. Due to the size of the population served by this supply, it could take until 10am tomorrow morning for normal water supply to be fully restored to all areas, especially for those on higher ground or at the end of the network. Crews continue to tanker to reservoirs and water towers to help restore levels and recharge the network as quickly as possible.
Uisce Éireann is appealing to customers in East Meath to conserve water wherever possible to help increase reservoir levels and accelerate restoration of supply. Simple water conservation efforts can have a big impact on reducing demand. Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth and shaving can save up to 6 litres of water per minute. Taking a shower instead of a bath or using a watering can rather than a hose when gardening can also make a big difference in water use. For more water conservation advice, please visit www.water.ie/conserve.
Major project to upgrade the water supply for these areas nearing completion
Uisce Éireann is progressing a number of strategically important projects, which represent major capital investment, to provide a safe, sustainable and reliable water supply in East Meath including Ratoath, Kilbride, Ashbourne and surrounding areas. As part of the Windmill Hill Reservoir and Trunk Watermain to Ratoath project, Uisce Éireann is replacing over 7km of old and problematic water mains that are prone to frequent bursts and outages. The old water mains are being replaced by larger, modern, more resilient pipes which will also address low water pressure particularly for customers in Ratoath during periods of peak demand. The project also involves the construction of a new, state-of-the-art, elevated 4.7 million litre treated water storage reservoir and secondary disinfection system, adjacent to the existing Windmill Hill Reservoir. Installation of the new trunk main is now complete and over the coming weeks Shareridge Ltd. will be arranging to carry out remaining testing, making key connections in advance of making the new pipe live. Works to the new 4.7 million litre treated water storage reservoir are also progressing well, with over 70% of the reservoir and new site complete.
Éireann would like to thank the community for their continued patience and cooperation while we deliver the final stages of this essential project. Uisce Éireann will continue to closely monitor the supply in Ratoath, Kilbride and surrounding areas until the new reservoir and pipework is operational.
Uisce Éireann is also progressing plans to increase the storage capacity at Staleen Water Treatment Plant with the construction of a new, 8 million litre treated water storage reservoir which will provide a sustainable and reliable drinking water supply in the Navan/Mid Meath and East Meath region for generations to come.
As per best practice, most homes and businesses will have on-site water storage to provide a backup source of water for sanitation purposes, however, we understand that this is not always the case. Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communications for planned and unplanned outages lasting more than four hours.
The Uisce Éireann customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on X @IWCare with any queries. For updates please visit the Water Supply Updates section.