Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Laois County Council, is starting work on replacing approximately 310m of aged water mains with new modern pipes.

The project, which starts this week, will provide a more reliable water supply and reduce the amount of treated drinking water lost to leakage. The water company described the works as a critical step in conserving water and reducing high levels of leakage which have been a significant source of disruption and outages for customers.

Programme Manager, for Uisce Éireann’s National Leakage Reduction Programme, Joe Carroll commented:

“Old and damaged water mains remain a huge source of leakage and continue to impact communities right across Ireland, causing low pressure and supply disruption. Replacing these old water mains in poor condition will eliminate existing leaks and significantly reduce the amount of clean drinking water lost into the ground.”

“Simultaneously, work will commence to transfer new connections to a new mains in Lord Edward Street, Mountmellick. The delivery of these essential works will provide a safer, more secure water supply for the area, by minimising the frequency of bursts and improving the resilience of the network.”

Both projects are being carried out by Ward & Burke Construction on behalf of Uisce Éireann and are due to be completed by the end of May 2023.

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. Since 2018, its delivery has represented an investment of over €500 million to upgrade the underground water network across the country through the delivery of the Leakage Reduction Programme. Uisce Éireann is also investing a further €250 million annually up to the end of 2030 directed at fixing leaks and replacing pipes to provide a more reliable water supply.