Gortfada Water Mains Replacement
National Leakage Reduction Programme
Uisce Éireann, in partnership with Leitrim County Council, is replacing old problematic trunk water mains in Gortfada, Co.Leitrim to provide a more safe and secure water supply and reduce high levels of leakage.
Uisce Éireann is investing over €500 million between 2017- 2021 to reduce leakage and replace old pipes on the public water network. The benefits of this programme are:
- Replacing old pipes to reduce drinking water lost by leakage
- Fixing leaks to reduce disruption from bursts and outages
- Improving water quality
- Delivering savings on operation and maintenance of the network
The works involve the replacement of approximately 1400 metres of problematic trunk water mains with high density polyethylene (plastic) pipes. The programme to replace the water mains in Gortfada will commence in early February 2021. These works are being carried out as part of Uisce Éireann's National Leakage Reduction Programme.
The section of rehabilitation works will take place from Gortfada to Cornagresha on R202.
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 works will be carried out on behalf of Uisce Éireann by Farrans Construction Ltd. and are expected to be completed by April 2021.
What are the benefits of the works?
The benefits of the leakage reduction works include:
• A Reliable Water Supply - Replacement of water mains and service connections will reduce the instances of bursts and water outages and will ensure a reliable supply of water to customers and local businesses in the area
• Reduced Leaks - Replacement of water mains and service connections will eliminate existing leaks and reduce the amount of clean drinking water lost into the ground
• Improved Operation and Maintenance - These works will deliver cost savings by providing improved water network operation that will require less maintenance in the future
Will customers be affected by the works?
To facilitate the safe delivery of the works, there will be some traffic management in form of a stop/go traffic system in place during delivery. Local and emergency access will be maintained at all times.
The works may involve some short-term water shut offs and the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours notice prior to any planned water shut offs.
We understand that this type of work can be inconvenient and works crews will make every effort to minimise any disruption these necessary works cause.
Residents and businesses in the areas to benefit from the planned improvements have been notified directly and customers can phone Uisce Éireann on 1800 278 278 if they have any questions about the project.
Uisce Éireann regrets any inconvenience these necessary water network improvements may cause. Details of any supply interruptions associated to this project will be updated regularly on the Supply and Service Updates section of our website.
This project is one example of how Uisce Éireann is working in partnership with Leitrim County Council to reduce leaks every day. 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 end the end of 2019 it was 42% and we are currently on course to achieving a national leakage rate of 38% by 2021.
