Upgrades to improve water supply and reduce leakage in Baltimore

15 October 2021

Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Cork County Council, is replacing 750m of problematic watermains in Lahern, Baltimore to provide a more reliable water supply and reduce high levels of leakage.

The project also involves laying new water service connections from the public watermain in the road to customers’ property boundaries and connecting it to the customers’ water supply.

The programme to replace the watermains in Lahern will commence after the October bank holiday weekend and is being carried out as part of Uisce Éireann’s National Leakage Reduction Programme.

The project will take place on the Trafraskra Road (L8210), opposite Baltimore Holiday Homes, and continue for approximately 600m toward Trafaskra. On reaching the Trafaskra junction the works will continue back toward the main Baltimore Road on the L8211 for approximately 150m.

Traffic management will be in place during this time and a road closure is required on the L8210 and L8211 for approximately two weeks. Local and emergency traffic will always be maintained. Access to Trafraska Beach will be maintained at all times.

Outlining the benefits the project will bring, Uisce Éireann's Steven Blennerhassett, explained: “The upgrading of these watermains will benefit the locals by strengthening and reinforcing the water network, hopefully leading to the reduction of drinking water that is lost due to leakage. The existing pipes had a high burst frequency which lead to supply interruptions in the past, so the new pipes will minimise future disruptions to the communities water supply and improve water quality for all.”

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 Uisce Éireann 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.

Steven added: “To facilitate the safe delivery of the upgrades, there will be some traffic management in place, however local and emergency access will be maintained at all times.

“The works may involve some short-term water outages and the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any planned water outages. We understand that this type of work can be inconvenient and our crews will make every effort to minimise any disruption as we continue to improve the water supply in Lahern and progress the National Leakage Reduction Programme.”

The works will be carried out on behalf of Uisce Éireann by Ward and Burke Ltd. and are expected to be completed within three weeks from commencement.
The National Leakage Reduction Programme helps provide a more reliable water supply to Irish communities by reducing high levels of leakage and improving water quality. Its delivery represents an investment of over €500 million between 2017 and the end of 2021 to reduce leakage and replace old pipes on the water network.

For more information on reducing leaks visit our National Leakage Reduction Programme page.

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 our Supply and Service Updates section or set your location on our website.

Uisce Éireann is responsible for the delivery of all public water and wastewater services in Ireland. We are committed to continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support the growth needed in housing and across our economy, while protecting the environment and safeguarding water supplies.