Irish Water get to work on leaky pipes in big Portlaoise estate

Irish Water says it has begun work replacing old and problematic leaking water mains in Lakeglen Estate, Portlaoise

The utility, which is working in partnership with Laois County Council, says the aim of the project is to provide a more reliable water supply and reduce high levels of leakage in the area.

Irish Water says it will decommission and replace almost 600 metres of problematic water mains along the L-80169 that are prone to frequent bursts and leakage. The company says the mains will be replaced with high-density polyethylene (plastic) pipes which will improve water quality and provide the community with a more reliable supply of water.

Alongside the pipes, 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 customer’s water supply. Where the existing service connections on the public side are lead these will be replaced as part of this improvement work.

The work, which was scheduled to begin on Monday, November 2, will last for a month and could cause some disruption to supply in the estate off the Mountmellick Road.

Joe Carroll, Regional Lead with Irish Water said these upgrades are part of a significant investment by Irish Water to upgrade the water network in Laois.

"Replacing old, damaged pipes will reduce the instances of bursts and water outages and safeguard the water supply for homes and businesses now and into the future. We understand that this type of work can be inconvenient and will ensure our work crews make every effort to minimise any disruption these necessary improvement works may cause,” he said.

A statement added that the work may involve some short-term water shut-offs and traffic management measures which may cause inconvenience. The project team said it would ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any planned water shut-offs and local and emergency access will be maintained at all times.

Irish Water and Laois County Council said they regret any inconvenience these necessary works may cause. The works will be carried out on behalf of Irish Water by Ward and Burke Ltd. and are expected to be completed by December 2020.

The company added that this project is one example of how Irish Water is working in partnership with Laois County Council to reduce leaks every day. It says fixing leaks can be complicated with over 63,000km of water pipe but we are making progress. In 2018 the rate of leakage nationally was 46%, by the end of 2019 it was 42% and we are currently on course to achieving a national leakage rate of 38% by 2021.

A statement said the project is part of Irish Water’s national Leakage Reduction Programme which will see €500 million invested up to the end of 2021 to reduce the level of leakage across the country by fixing and replacing old and problematic water mains. This will ensure a safe, reliable water supply which is vital for our health, our environment and our growing population and economy. For more information, please visit www.water.ie/reducingleaks.    

The Irish Water customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1850 278 278 and customers can also contact Irish Water on Twitter @IWCare with any queries. For updates please visit www.water.ie/water-supply/ supply-and-service-update/.   

Irish Water says it continues to work with our Local Authority partners, contractors and others to safeguard the health and well-being of both staff and the public and to ensure the continuity of critical drinking water and wastewater services. Irish Water would like to remind people to follow the HSE COVID-19 advice and ensure frequent handwashing.