Irish Water says it is about to carry out a project to improve drinking water supplies in St. Eunan’s Terrace, Letterkenny.
The existing pipes, backyard service connections at the rear of some properties were prone to frequent leakage and bursts, and 200 metres of old mains are being replaced with new high density polyethylene pipes.
The works are planned to commence in the coming week, and should be completed by next month.
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Statement in full –
Issued Monday, October 04 2021 – The supply of drinking water is set to improve for customers in St. Eunan’s Terrace, Letterkenny as Irish Water in partnership with Donegal County Council replaces approximately 200 metres of old watermains. The existing watermains located along the rear of a number of properties, referred to as backyard service connections were prone to frequent leakage, bursts and low water pressure causing supply disruptions and water quality issues for customers in the area. As part of this project, the old mains are being replaced with new high density polyethylene (plastic) pipes.
The works are planned to commence in early October and will be completed in November 2021. Once completed customers in this area will enjoy improved water quality and supply with less disruption and improved water quality. Farran’s Construction Ltd are contracted to carry out the work on behalf of Irish Water in line with current COVID-19 restrictions.
Commenting on the project Declan Cawley, Irish Water said: “This mains replacement work is part of a significant investment by Irish Water to upgrade the water network in Donegal. We are delighted to bring a more secure and reliable water supply to the local community along St Eunan’s Terrace. Replacing these old watermains and service connections will reduce the instances of bursts, water outages and amount of clean drinking water lost to leakage. The installation of the new watermains will also help conserve this precious resource and improve levels of services for homes and businesses in the area. We would like to thank customers in advance for their cooperation and patience while we complete this essential job.”
This project is one example of how we are working in partnership with Donegal County Council to reduce leaks every day. Fixing leaks can be complicated with over 63,000 km of water pipe in Ireland. Most leaks aren’t visible, resulting in precious water being lost but we are making progress. In 2018 the rate of leakage nationally was 46%, by the end of 2020 it was 40% and we are currently on course to achieve a national leakage rate of 38% by the end of 2021.
Declan added: “The works will take place along St Eunan’s Terrace area. To facilitate the safe delivery of the works, there will be some traffic management in place. Local and emergency access will be maintained at all times.
“The works may involve some short-term water outages and the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any planned water outages. 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.”
Customers have been notified about the works and can phone Irish Water on 1800 278 278 if they have any questions about the project or check out the Water Supply Updates section of the Irish Water website for regular updates.
The National Leakage Reduction Programme helps provide a more reliable water supply to Irish communities, reduce high levels of leakage and improve water quality. Its delivery means investment of over €500 million between 2017 and the end of 2021 to reduce leakage and replace old pipes on the water network.
Further information on Irish Water’s Leakage Reduction Programme is also available on the Irish Water website www.water.ie.
Irish Water 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. Irish Water would like to remind people to follow the current HSE COVID-19 advice and ensure frequent handwashing.
