Ballina And Killala Customers Set To Enjoy More Reliable Water Supply Following Irish Water Mains Replacement Works
Date: 23-09-2020
Irish Water, working in partnership with Mayo County Council, is replacing approximately one kilometre of old and damaged watermains in Ballina and Killala that were prone to frequent bursts and leakage which caused water supply disruptions for customers in the area. The mains are being replaced with new high density polyethylene (plastic) pipes.
Old and damaged watermains are being decommissioned in Ballina and 660 metres of new mains are being laid in Plunkett Road and Church Road. In Killala 335 metres of new mains are being laid in Market Street and Barrack Street.
These works are due to commence in early October with the Killala works expected to finish in November and Ballina to be completed in December. Both projects will ensure customers in these areas enjoy an improved water supply with less disruption. Farran’s Construction Ltd are contracted to carry out the work on behalf of Irish Water.
These projects are examples of how Irish Water is working in partnership with Mayo 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 2019 it was 42% and we are currently on course to achieving a national leakage rate of 38% by 2021.
Commenting on the project Dave Murphy, Irish Water said: “To facilitate the safe delivery of the works, there will be some short-term local road closures and traffic management in place during delivery. The community will be notified of this in advance. Alternative routes will be available and diversions will be clearly sign-posted. Local and emergency access will be maintained at all times.
“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. 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.
“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 customer’s water supply. Where the existing service connections on the public side are lead these will be replaced as part of this improvement work.
“This mains replacement work is part of a significant investment by Irish Water to upgrade the water network across Mayo and we would like to thank customers in advance for their cooperation and patience while we complete this essential job.”
Customers can phone Irish Water on 1850 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 by reducing high levels of leakage and improving water quality. Its delivery represents an investment of over €500 million between 2017 and 2021 to reduce leakage and replace old pipes on the water network.
Irish Water continues to work at this time 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 HSE COVID-19 advice and ensure frequent handwashing.
For more information on reducing leaks visit our national Leakage Reduction Programme page on www.water.ie.