Work on-going to restore water supply to customers in County Meath

Uisce Éireann is continuing to restore normal water supply to households and businesses in County Meath following disruptions caused by the impact of Storm Éowyn last week. Primary treatment plants and networks are now generally stable following widespread power outages throughout the county in the wake of the storm.

Uisce Éireann is working closely with ESB to prioritise the return of power to key sites, and we have now deployed and installed generators at almost all of the plants, pumping stations and reservoirs where it is feasible to do so.

While a number of smaller water treatment plants and pumping stations in rural parts of the county are still without power, many treatment plants are now back in operation through the restoration of power supply while several water and wastewater plants are operating on generator power.

Clonard water treatment plant has had power restored and while there are intermittent power outages, a standby generator is on site to offset any further outages.

In Moynalty, power has been restored to the water treatment plant and it is now back in operation. Alternative water supplies in the form of pallets of bottled water are available outside the Credit Union to serve the village and the rural hinterland. A static water tanker is also available in Moynalty and will remain in place for as long as it is required. Pallets of bottled water have also been dispatched to nearby Kilbeg and a further alternative water supply is available in Carlanstown.

Michael Cunniffe, Uisce Éireann, stated, “Our crews are on the ground in all impacted areas working to restore water services as quickly as possible by sourcing and installing generators at plants where power has not yet been restored. We apologise to customers who have been without water for a few days and ask for the public’s continued patience during this challenging time.”

Meanwhile, a precautionary boil water notice remains in place to protect the health of approximately 1,860 customers served by the Oldcastle-Kells Water Supply Scheme. A loss of electricity at the Fennor reservoir impacted the treatment processes at the water treatment plant.  The impacted areas include Oldcastle, Fennor, Farranaglogh, Ardfrail, Tubride, Newcastle and surrounding areas. 

Drinking water experts from Uisce Éireann are working to rectify the issues at the treatment plant and lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible, in consultation with the HSE. In the meantime, all customers on this supply are advised to boil water before use until further notice.

Michael Cunniffe continued, “Public health is Uisce Éireann's number one priority and we would like to assure customers that the notice has been put in place to protect public health. We acknowledge the inconvenience caused to homes and businesses and would like to assure customers that we are working to resolve the issue and lift the notice as quickly and as safely possible.”

Uisce Éireann would like to acknowledge the support we have been receiving throughout the country from a range of different agencies – National Emergency Coordination Group, ESB, Civil Defence, Coast Guard and the local authorities. 

Uisce Éireann is advising elderly/vulnerable people to contact our customer care helpline, which is open 24/7, on 1800 278 278.

Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communication on Boil Water Notices. Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled.

Uisce Éireann has also launched a free text service, providing real-time updates for local issues. Customers can sign up with their Eircode and mobile number via the panel below.

Uisce Éireann is continuing work to restore normal water supply to customers across County Meath following disruption caused by the impact of Storm Éowyn.  

The high winds and immense power of Storm Éowyn resulted in widespread power outages countywide particularly in north Meath. Many water treatment plants are now back in operation through the restoration of power supply in the area or the deployment of generators that had been mobilised in advance of the storm. 

Power has been restored at Enfield and Longwood Water Treatment Plants. A number of smaller water treatment plants and pumping stations are still without power and we are continuing to co-ordinate with the National Emergency Co-ordination Group, local authorities, the ESB, Civil Defence and other agencies as work continues to restore power and normal water supplies as quickly as possible. 

Customers will continue to experience low water pressure or no water in some areas as we work to refill reservoirs following the restoration of power. Impacted areas across the county include Clonard (Abbeyfields), Meadowview, Moynalty and parts of Kells. Alternative water supplies are available at Clonard (Abbeyfields and Meadowview Housing Estates) and in Moynalty. 

Some areas across the wider County continue to experience water supply disruption. Customers can go to www.water.ie and enter their address for details of localised issues and estimated restoration times. 

In the meantime, customers are urged to conserve water where possible in order to protect supply while the outages are resolved.
Michael Cunniffe, Uisce Éireann’s Regional Operations Manager, said: "Uisce Éireann crews and the ESB are working together to restore power to all areas so that production of treated water can recommence as quickly and as safely as possible."

Uisce Éireann’s customer care team is available to help 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on X @IWCare with any queries.
Uisce Éireann has also launched a free text service, providing real-time updates for local issues. Customers can sign up with their Eircode and mobile number at www.water.ie. 

Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communications from us for planned and unplanned outages lasting more than four hours. 

Uisce Éireann is mobilising crews to restore normal water supply to customers across County Meath. This follows widespread service disruptions in the county caused by the impact of Storm Éowyn.  

Power outages at treatment plants and pumping stations continue to impact on supplies across the county including Enfield, Longwood, Clonard (Abbeyfields), Meadowview, Kilmessan, Athboy, Kilmurray, Nobber, Drumcondrath, Kilmainhamwood, Moynalvey, Moynalty, Oldcastle, Kells, Annesbridge and Carrickleck.

Uisce Eireann repair crews have commenced restoration works in areas where the status red weather warning has been lifted and it is safe to do so. We are co-ordinating with the National Emergency Co-ordination Group, local authorities, the ESB, Civil Defence and other agencies as we work to restore normal supplies as quickly as possible. 

Once power is returned to an area it may take some time for normal water supply to be restored. Customers can go to www.water.ie and enter their address for details of localised issues and estimated restoration times. Details of alternative water supplies if required will also be provided here.

In the meantime, customers are urged to conserve water where possible in order to protect supply while the outages are resolved.

Head of Water Operations at Uisce Éireann, Margaret Attridge is warning that service disruptions may last a number of days for some households and businesses, “This was an unprecedented storm event that has had a severe impact on our water and wastewater network nationwide. We are still assessing the full extent of the disruption to supplies. Our crews will work around the clock where it is safe to do so to restore water service as quickly as possible, but given the extent of the damage, it may take some time before full service is restored everywhere. We ask for the public’s continued patience during this challenging time.” 

Uisce Éireann’s customer care team is available to help 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on X @IWCare with any queries.
Uisce Éireann has also launched a free text service, providing real-time updates for local issues. Customers can sign up with their Eircode and mobile number at www.water.ie. 

Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communications from us for planned and unplanned outages lasting more than four hours.