Limerick City Water Conservation Project & Water Mains Rehabilitation

The Limerick City Water Supply Scheme supplies drinking water to approximately 68,000 people as well as the City’s universities, schools, industries and businesses.

Certain sections of the water distribution network are aging, resulting in high burst rates and poor service. This €6.6 million investment will reduce leakage on the network by replacing and rehabilitating ageing water mains in Limerick City which will improve water services for approx. 1,900 properties in Limerick. Additionally 1,405 properties will benefit from the replacement of existing lead services.

Benefits

• Reduce water leakage
• Improve drinking water quality
• Improve water pressure
• Improve levels of service
• Reduce water supply disruptions

Background

• Parts of the network, particularly old cast iron water mains, are in poor condition leading to excessive burst rates and leakage in Limerick City
• Old water mains in poor condition have high burst rates which cause interruptions to supply and fluctuations in water pressure
• Operating, maintaining and repairing old and deteriorating water mains is labour intensive and costly
• Corroding cast iron water mains can cause water quality and water discolouration issues. Lead service pipes can give rise to the presence of lead in drinking water

Steps

• Replacing approx. 10.5km of water mains in Limerick City’s water supply network
• Transferring approx. 500 individual service connections from the existing mains to replacement water mains
• Installing 1,405 individual service connections for properties currently supplied from lead service pipes