Irish Water and Clare County Council can confirm that the programme of works to replace old water mains in the Miltown Malbay area has been escalated and is now scheduled to get underway in October 2020.
The contractor is due to submit a Road Opening Application Licence this week and, subject to the completion of this process, expects to commence construction in October. The works are scheduled to take eight months to complete.
Duane O’Brien, Irish Water’s Operations Lead for Clare, said: “We fully understand the inconvenience and frustration caused by these supply disruptions and would like to assure the community that we are doing everything within our power to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.
“Due to the age and poor condition of the pipe network in the area, there have been a large number of bursts in recent months which have led to supply outages for customers. When these bursts occur crews are dispatched to carry out repairs and restore water as quickly as possible – generally within the same day. However, it can take longer for normal supply to return for some customers at the ends of the network or on private Group Water Schemes which are supplied from the public water main.
“As an interim measure pending the completion of the water main replacement works, Irish Water will continue to provide assistance to the four affected Group Water Schemes in the event of a burst on the public water main having an impact on supply. This assistance includes the operation of the Scheme assets in order to facilitate the return of the water supply and will be limited to the opening and closing of valves and the bleeding of air locks in the network until the supply is restored. It does not extend to other works such as the fixing of leaks etc. The initial stages of the Taking in Charge process for the four Group Water Supply schemes have started and Irish Water will continue to work closely with Clare County Council while this process is underway.”
The upgrade, maintenance and operation of Ireland’s water treatment plants, wastewater treatment plants, water and sewer network requires long-term and sustained investment over many years. Funding to develop and maintain these systems is allocated with the approval of Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). In allocating funding, Irish Water prioritises key outcomes such as reducing leakage, removing water supply zones from the EPA’s Remedial Action List and addressing new and emerging needs.
Irish Water is working at this time, with our local authority partners, contractors and others to safeguard the health and well-being of staff and the public and to ensure the continuity of drinking water and wastewater services.
The latest updates on these works will be available on the supply and service section of our website https://www.water.ie. The Irish Water customer care helpline is open 24/7 and customers can call us on 1850 278 278. Customers can also contact us on Twitter @IWCare with any queries.