Water mains replacement works due to take place in Donegal Town

05 October 2022

Uisce Éireann crews will arrive in Donegal Town this month and bring with them the promise of fewer water outages.

The team will replace more than 860 metres of old water mains in Clareden Drive and Drumlaght which will significantly reduce bursts and give locals a more reliable water supply when works are completed by December. 

Laying new pipes as part of Uisce Éireann’s National Leakage Reduction Programme will also reduce the amount of treated drinking water lost underground.

The project 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 customers’ water supply. Where the existing service connections on the public side are lead these will be replaced as part of this improvement work.

Uisce Éireann’s Networks Regional Lead Declan Cawley is looking forward to starting work in Donegal Town. 

“Working with Donegal County Council, we prioritise leakage reduction works in the areas that need it most. Removing old pipes from the public water network in Clareden Drive and Drumlaght will have major benefits for the supply in the area.”

The works will take place along the L1995, from the River Eske Water Treatment Plant to the N56. From there the works will progress along the N56 to the Clareden Drive junction with the R267. The final phase of works will take place along the R267 from the Clareden Drive junction to the Cleary Centre.

To facilitate the safe delivery of the project, it’s necessary to close the L1995 for the duration of the works. Traffic will be diverted but local and emergency access will be accommodated at all times. 

Uisce Éireann customers may experience some short-term interruptions to their water supply, but the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any planned interruption.

“We understand that this type of work can be inconvenient for local residents but work crews will make every effort to minimise any disruptions these necessary works cause. We thank the community for their continued co-operation and patience,” explained Declan.  

Farrans Construction will deliver the project on behalf of Uisce Éireann. 

Customers with questions about the project can call Uisce Éireann on 1800 278 278 or contact us on Twitter @IWCare. For further updates please see the Uisce Éireann website.

Uisce Éireann is working with local authorities across the country to reduce leakage and provide customers with a more reliable water supply.  Fixing leaks can be complicated but we are making progress. In 2018 the rate of leakage nationally was 46%, by the end of 2021 it was 38% and now we are on track to achieve a national leakage rate of 25% by the end of 2030.

Since 2018, Uisce Éireann has invested more than €500 million to upgrade the underground water network across the country through the delivery of the Leakage Reduction Programme. We are investing a further €250 million every year up to the end of 2030 - fixing leaks and replacing pipes to provide a more reliable water supply.

For more information, visit our National Leakage Reduction Programme page.