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Works progress to reduce high levels of leakage in Mullingar

20 September 2021

Securing the water supply in Westmeath remains a vital focus for Uisce Éireann who is continuing with efforts to drive down leakage and improve the water supply for customers. Working in partnership with Westmeath County Council, Uisce Éireann is replacing old and problematic water mains in Ballynacarrigy, Mullingar to provide a more reliable water supply, reduce high levels of leakage and improve water quality for homes and local businesses.

The works will involve the replacement of almost 350 metres of old, cast iron water mains along the L1902 Wood Road, Harbour Street and the R393 in the direction of Mullingar. The old mains will be replaced with new, high density polyethylene (plastic) pipes which will reduce the number of bursts and water outages impacting customers and ensure a more reliable supply of water for the local community. 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 customers’ water supply. Where existing service connections on the public side are lead, these will be replaced as part of this improvement work.

To minimise the impact on customers, areas of work will be limited to short sections. Traffic management may be in place during this time to facilitate the safe delivery of these works, however, local and emergency access will be maintained. The works may also involve some short-term supply disruptions which we understand may cause inconvenience, 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 necessary improvement works may cause.

The works, which are scheduled to begin on 21 September, will be carried out on behalf of Uisce Éireann by GMC Utilities Ltd in adherence with current HSE and government guidance on COVID-19 and are expected to be completed by the end of October.

Speaking about the project Matt Thomson, Leakage Reduction Programme Regional Lead with Uisce Éireann said: “These works are vital to ensure a more secure water supply to homes and businesses in Mullingar and are part of a significant investment by Uisce Éireann to safeguard the water supply. We understand this type of work can be inconvenient and we will ensure our work crews make every effort to minimise any disruption these necessary works may cause. We would like to thank the community of Ballynacarrigy in advance for their patience and cooperation while we deliver these vital water network improvement works and safeguard the water supply now and into the future”.

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 the Supply and Service Updates section of our website.

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 continues to work 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.