New water pipes for Curracloe

Safeguarding the water supply in Wexford is a vital focus for Uisce Éireann with works underway as part of its national Leakage Reduction Programme to drive down leakage and provide a more reliable water supply for the community.

Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Wexford County Council, is replacing almost 1.5 km of aged water mains with new modern pipes in Curracloe. The project, which will commence next week, will provide a more reliable water supply, improve water quality, and reduce the amount of treated drinking water lost to leakage. The works are a critical step in conserving this precious resource and reducing high levels of leakage which have been a significant source of disruption and interruptions for customers. This essential project will see works taking place in Ballinesker and Barnablake in Curracloe. 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 customers’ water supply. Outlining the benefits the water mains replacement project will bring, Joe Carroll, Infrastructure Delivery Programme Manager at Uisce Éireann, explained, “Old and damaged water mains are 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.” Joe added, “I would like to thank the local community in advance for their patience and cooperation during the works. We know that based on previous experiences the short-term inconvenience will be overshadowed by the long-term benefits." Where water mains are being constructed traffic management will be in place but the area of works will be limited to short sections in order to minimise the impact on customers. Local and emergency traffic will be maintained at all times. These works are being carried out by Shareridge Civil Engineering and Wexford County Council on behalf of Uisce Éireann and is expected to be completed in July. 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 represents 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. To find out more about Uisce Éireann national programme of works to reduce leakage and improve Ireland’s water supply visit our Leakage Reduction Programme Page www.water.ie/projects-plans/national-projects/leakage-reduction-programme/ Uisce Éireann’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 Uisce Éireann website or set your location on our website www.water.ie