Upgrade to the water network in Bunbrosna to safeguard the water supply

25 August 2021

Works will involve the replacement of over 500 metres of old and broken water mains

Uisce Éireann is continuing with efforts to drive down leakage and secure the water supply for customers in Westmeath. Working in partnership with Westmeath County Council, Uisce Éireann is progressing with water main replacement works in Mullenoran, Bunbrosna, to improve the security of supply and reduce high levels of leakage in the area.

The works will involve the replacement of over 500 metres of old and broken water mains between Mullenoran Bridge and the R393 with new, high density polyethylene (plastic) pipes which will reduce the number of bursts and water outages and will ensure a reliable supply of water to customers and local businesses. The works will 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. Where existing service connections on the public side are lead these will also be replaced as part of this improvement work.

To facilitate the safe delivery of these works, traffic management will be in place to include a road closure from Monday 23 August to Friday 10 September 2021 with diversions in place via the N4, R394 and R393. Local and emergency access will be maintained at all times.

The works may involve some short-term water outages, however, the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any planned water outages. Uisce Éireann and Westmeath County Council regret any inconvenience these improvement works may cause.

The works, which are scheduled to begin on 23 August, will be carried out on behalf of Uisce Éireann by GMC Utilities and are expected to be completed by the end of September. These essential works will be delivered in adherence with the HSE and government guidance on COVID-19.

Speaking about the project Matt Thomson, Leakage Reduction Programme Regional Lead with Uisce Éireann said: “We understand that this type of work can be inconvenient and will ensure our work crews make every effort to minimise any disruption these works may cause. We would like to thank the local community, businesses, homeowners and commuters for their patience and cooperation while we deliver these vital water network improvement works to safeguard the water supply in Bunbrosna”.

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 our Water Supply Updates section.

This project is one example of how Uisce Éireann is working in partnership with Local Authorities to provide a more reliable water supply and reduce leakage. Fixing leaks can be complicated but we are making progress. In 2018 the rate of leakage nationally was 46%, by the end of 2020 it was reduced to 40%. We are currently on course to achieve a national leakage rate of 38% by the end of 2021.

Uisce Éireann is working at this time, with our Local Authority partners, contractors and others to safeguard the health and well-being of both staff and the public and to ensure the continuity of critical drinking water and wastewater services. Uisce Éireann would like to remind people to follow the current HSE COVID-19 advice and ensure frequent handwashing.