Upgrades to improve water supply and reduce leakage in Offaly

11 March 2021

Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Offaly County Council, is progressing with essential water main replacement works in Rhode, to improve the security of supply and reduce high levels of leakage in the area.

The works will involve the replacement of almost 800 meters of old problematic water mains along Main Street and will be replaced with new, high density polyethylene (plastic) pipes which will improve water quality and reduce high levels of leakage.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 the existing service connections on the public side are lead, these will be replaced as part of this improvement work. The works will also involve the replacement of 1.2km of old problematic water mains in the Fahy, Ballybritton area which is located east of Rhode Town Centre. New, high density polyethylene (plastic) pipes will improve water quality and reduce high levels of leakage.

To facilitate the safe delivery of these works, some traffic management will be in place including a stop/go traffic system on Main St, Rhode, however, local and emergency access will be maintained at all times. A road closure will also be in place on a section of road along the R441 in the Fahy, Ballybritton area for the duration of the project. A traffic management plan is in place and has been communicated locally.

The works may involve some short-term supply disruptions which we understand may cause inconvenience. The project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any planned water shut-off’s. Uisce Éireann and Offaly County Council regret any inconvenience these improvement works may cause.

The works, which are scheduled to begin on 15 March, will be carried out on behalf of Uisce Éireann by Ward and Burke Ltd and are expected to be completed in April. These essential works will be delivered in adherence with the HSE and government guidance on Covid-19.

Speaking about the project, Joe Carroll, 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 improvement works to safeguard the water supply in Offaly”.

To date, Uisce Éireann and Offaly County Council have saved over 8 million litres of water daily across Co. Offaly, enough water to supply over 63,000 people per day, as a result of leakage reduction and repair works in several towns and villages across the county. This has significantly reduced the number of bursts and water outages, resulting in a more reliable water supply for customers. Fixing leaks can be complicated with over 63,000km of water pipe in Ireland. Our national Leakage Reduction Programme will see €500 million invested up to the end of 2021 to reduce the level of leakage across the country by fixing and replacing old and damaged water mains. This will ensure a safe, reliable water supply which is vital for our health, our environment and our growing population and economy. For more information, please visit the National Leakage Reduction Programme section of our website.

Our 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 of our website.

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 HSE COVID-19 advice and ensure frequent handwashing.