An important project to improve water supply to homes and businesses in Ennis gets underway this week in Ennis as Uisce Éireann’s intensive campaign to reduce leaks in the Banner County continues.
Uisce Éireann crews will be arriving in the county town to get to work replacing 250 metres of aged cast iron water mains with new modern pipes on Lifford Road which will result in improved water quality and a more reliable water supply for customers.
The section of works will take place along a section of the R352, from the Kincora Park crossroads to the T-junction at Shannon Park.
These improvement 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.
Speaking about the benefits of the project, Programme Manager for Uisce Éireann’s National Leakage Reduction Programme, Jack Cronin said: “Replacing these old water mains and service connections in poor condition will eliminate existing leaks and significantly reduce the amount of clean drinking water lost into the ground. We would like to thank the residents on Lifford Road for facilitating these works and working with us to provide a more secure and reliable water supply for generations to come.”
The works will be carried out by Ward & Burke Construction Ltd and are expected to be complete by the end of March.
Areas of works will be limited to short sections to minimise impact on customers. Traffic management will be in place along the section of works but the community can be assured that local and emergency traffic will be maintained at all times.
The works may require some short-term water interruptions, but the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any planned interruptions.
“We understand that this type of work can cause inconvenience for the local community, but our crews will make every effort to minimise any disruptions,” added Jack.
This important project for Ennis forms part of Uisce Eireann’s National Leakage Reduction Programme and will help us achieve our 2030 goal of a national leakage rate of 25%. The National Leakage Reduction team has made great strides since 2018 when the leakage rate stood at 46%.
Since 2018, Uisce Éireann has invested more than €500 million to upgrade the underground water network across the country through the delivery of the national Leakage Reduction Programme. We are investing a further €250 million every year up to the end of 2030 – fixing leaks and replacing pipes to provide a more reliable water supply.
For more information on the national Leakage Reduction Programme, please visit www.water.ie/reducingleaks