Irish Water gives update on Inch watermains replacement

Irish Water has said resident of Inch ‘will begin to see Irish Water crews busy working to improve their water supply, as the utility gears up to begin replacing ageing watermains.’
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Residents have long been calling for the watermains to be replaced, following frequent bursts and outages in the area and launched a petition caling upin Irish Water to undertake the works.

In recent weeks, Donegal County Councillor Jack Murray has criticised delays in carrying out the works. It was hoped they would begin last month, but were said to be delayed to this month.

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In a statement, an Irish Water spokesperson said: “ Old watermains along the L1861 and L1851 Inch Road in Burnfoot, Co Donegal will be replaced in the coming months, ensuring a more reliable water supply for the area as well as reducing high leakage and burst levels as well as improving water quality.Irish Water, working in partnership with Donegal County Council, will replace 1.3km of ageing watermains along Inch Road with new modern pipework.

Works will be completed by the end of August.Works will be completed by the end of August.
Works will be completed by the end of August.

Speaking about the works, Irish Water’s National Leakage Reduction Programme Regional Lead, Declan Cawley said: “The works along Inch Road will be carried out by Farrans Construction on behalf of Irish Water. “We have prioritised leakage reduction works to those areas which need it most, with 1.3km of aging watermains along Inch Road being replaced with new modern pipes. The benefits of these works will see reduced incidence of bursts, improved water quality and will ensure a reliable supply of water to customers in the area. The new pipes will also help eliminate existing leaks and reduce the amount of clean drinking water lost into the ground.” The works may involve short-term water disruptions and residents will be given a minimum of 48 hours notice.

Traffic management may be in place and IW said local and emergency traffic will be always maintained. The works will be completed by the end of August.

“The works, when they commence, may involve some short-term water interruptions and the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48-hours’ notice prior to any planned water interruptions. Where watermains are being constructed traffic management may be in place during this time however local and emergency traffic will be always maintained. The works will be completed by the end of August.

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“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.

Irish Water’s customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on Twitter @IWCare with any queries. For updates, please visit the Water Supply Updates section of the Irish Water website or set your location on our website www.water.ie

Irish Water has invested over €500 million between 2017 and 2021 to reduce leakage and replace old pipes on the public water network. Fixing leaks can be complicated but we are making progress. In 2018 the rate of leakage nationally was 46%, by the end of 2021 it was reduced to 38%. We are on track to achieve a national leakage rate of 25% by the end of 2030.

“Irish Water is responsible for the delivery of all public water and wastewater services in Ireland. We are committed to continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support the growth needed in housing and across our economy, while protecting the environment and safeguarding water supplies.”

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