Out with the old and in with the new and improved water supply for St. Johnston

The new water mains will not only promise the area a more reliable water supply with fewer bursts and outages, but they will reduce the amount of clean drinking water lost into the ground.

Declan Cawley, Leakage Reduction Programme Regional Lead with Irish Water, is looking forward to ensuring customers in St. Johnston experience improved water quality and fewer disruptions to their water supply.

“Working in partnership with Donegal County Council, we have prioritised leakage reduction works to those areas which need it most. This project will see the replacement of approximately 2.9km of old cast iron water mains. Replacing these pipes is a first step in improving water quality, tackling water pressure, supply and leakage issues which affect some homes and businesses in the St. Johnston area. The works will not only reduce the amount of drinking water lost to leakage, it will also significantly improve water quality and supply for the local community.”

Declan added: “These ongoing projects are part of a significant investment by Irish Water to upgrade the water network across Donegal and we would like to thank customers for their continued cooperation and patience while we continue to upgrade and improve the water supply in the county.”

Farrans Construction will carry out the works on behalf of Irish Water and works are due to be completed by November. Traffic management will be in place to facilitate the works however local and emergency traffic will be maintained at all times.

In order to minimise disruption, the works will be carried out in sections along Chapel Road and Church Street.

Customers may experience some short-term interruptions to the water supply, but the team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48-hour notices prior to any planned water interruptions. Details of any supply interruption associated with the project will also be provided on the Water Supply Updates of the Irish Water website www.water.ie

Customers can also phone Irish Water on 1800 278 278 if they have any queries relating to the project.

These works are being carried out under the national Leakage Reduction Programme. Since 2017, Irish Water has invested more than €500 million to upgrade the underground water network across the country by fixing leaks and replacing pipes and we are investing a further €250 million each year up to the end of 2030. 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 38%. We are on track to achieve a national leakage rate of 25% by the end of 2030.