Ballinalee Water Main Replacement

Uisce Éireann, in partnership with Longford County Council, is replacing ageing water mains in Ballinalee to improve security of supply, improve water quality and reduce high levels of leakage.

The programme to replace ageing water mains in Ballinalee has commenced. Works will cease over the Christmas period and recommence in early January 2019. These works are being carried out as part of Uisce Éireann’s national Leakage Reduction Programme. The section of works will take place in Ballinalee village. The works will be carried out on behalf of Uisce Éireann by GMC Utilities Group Ltd and are expected to be completed by February 2019.

Benefits

A Reliable Water Supply

• Replacing the old water mains with new water mains and service connections will reduce the instances of bursts and water outages and will ensure a reliable supply of water to customers in the area

Reduced Leaks

• Replacement of old water mains and service connections in poor condition will eliminate existing leaks and reduce the amount of clean drinking water lost into the ground

Improved Water Quality

• Removing existing old cast iron and lead from the water network and replacing them with new plastic pipes will reduce the risk of contamination

Improved Operation and Maintenance

• These works will deliver cost savings by providing improved water network operation that will require less maintenance in the future

Steps

• The works involve the replacement of approximately 2.5 kilometres of aged cast iron water mains with high density polyethylene (plastic) pipes
• 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 the existing service connections on the public side are lead these will be replaced as part of this improvement work
• The works may involve some short-term water shut offs and the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours notice prior to any planned water shut offs
• Traffic management may be in place during this time