Greystones Water Main Replacement

Uisce Éireann, in partnership with Wicklow County Council, has replaced ageing back yard water mains and provided new service connections for customers in Kindlestown, Greystones, Co. Wicklow, to improve security of supply, water quality and reduce high levels of leakage.

In some older properties water connections, typically made of iron or lead, were installed to the rear of the property and are often referred to as back yard service connections. The pipework due to age and deteriorating condition are a significant source of leakage and reduced levels of service. Back yard services are usually shared, running through a number of neighbouring properties making it difficult to detect and repair leaks. Since all properties share a connection, leaks and bursts affect all properties usually resulting in low pressure.

The works involved the decommissioning of approximately 1624m of old problematic back yard water mains. 940m of new water mains were constructed along the public road and new service connections were installed from the new water main to each customers property. The communities that benefited these improvement works are:

• Upper Grattan Park
• Lower Grattan Park
• Kindlestown Park
• Beechbrook Park

It is likely that the service connections currently serving these properties from the old bak yard services in Wicklow are made from lead. All new service connections were made with modern high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic pipes to ensure a safer, more reliable supply of water to customers in the area. These works were carried out by Ward and Burke Construction Ltd in partnership with Wicklow County Council on behalf of Uisce Éireann.

Benefits

A Reliable Water Supply

• Replacement of water mains and service connections will reduce the instances of bursts and water outages and will ensure a reliable supply of water to customers and local businesses in the area. •

Reduced Leaks

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

Improved Water Quality

• 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 Operation and Maintenance

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

Affects of works

• A survey is required at each property within this community. The individual survey is undertaken to assess the current water connection arrangement for that property and discuss the best way to connect the new service to the customer homes. Access to the customers property is required to undertake this survey.
• Customers to benefit from these improvement works will be contacted directly by Ward and Burke Ltd to provide information about the required works and to discuss a suitable time to carry out an individual survey.
• The works when they commence 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. Where water mains are being constructed traffic management may be in place during this time. Local and emergency traffic will be maintained at all times.
• We understand that this type of work can be inconvenient and works crews will make every effort to minimise any disruption these necessary works cause.

More information

Customer can phone Uisce Éireann on 1800 278 278 if they have any questions. Uisce Éireann regrets any inconvenience these essential water network improvements may cause.

These works are one example of Uisce Éireann are working to reduce leaks everyday. In 2018 the rate of leakage nationally was 46%, by the end of 2019 it was 42% and we are currently on course to achieve a national leakage rate of 38% by 2021.