'More reliable' water supply for Offaly town with pipe upgrade
THE water supply system in Clonbullogue is to undergo a 5.5km upgrade.
Irish Water (Uisce Eireann) says it is working in partnership with Offaly County Council to replace aged water mains with new modern pipes.
Irish Water said the project, which will commence this week, will provide a more reliable water supply and reduce the amount of treated drinking water lost to leakage.
The utility said the works are a critical step in conserving water and reducing high levels of leakage which have been a significant source of disruption and outages for customers.
Manager for Uisce Éireann’s national leakage reduction programme Joe Carroll is looking forward to getting crews on site.
“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,” said Mr Carroll.
Local political representatives have welcomed the project with Fianna Fail TD Barry Cowen describing the work as “hugely significant” and saying it will bring to an end the ongoing issues that residents of the area have been experiencing.
Deputy Cowen said there will be a more reliable water supply and a reduction in the amount of treated drinking water lost to leakage.
"I have frequently been contacted by a number of residents in the area who are justifiably frustrated and aggrieved by the ongoing problems they experience with their water supply. 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,” said Deputy Cowen.
"To facilitate the delivery of the upgrades, motorists will unfortunately experience some traffic disruption. However, the benefits of the works will hopefully outweigh the inconvenience and I very much welcome this significant step forward.''
The TD's Fianna Fail colleague, Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick, also welcomed the announcement.
The works are being carried out by Ward & Burke Construction in partnership with Offaly County Council on behalf of Uisce Éireann and are due to be completed by the end of June this year.