Templemichael and Bannon Terrace Back Yard Service Replacement Project

Uisce Éireann, in partnership with Longford County Council, is replacing ageing back yard water mains and providing new service connections for customers in Templemichael and Bannon Terrace, Co. Longford to improve security of supply, water quality 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.

• 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 Water Quality - Replacement of old water mains and service connections in poor condition 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.

In some older properties water connections, typically made of iron or lead, were installed to the rear of the property and are often referred to as back yard service connections. The pipework due to age and deteriorating condition are a significant source of leakage and reduced levels of service. Back yard service are usually shared, running through a number of neighbouring properties making it difficult to detect and repair leaks. Since all properties share a connection, leaks and bursts affect all properties usually resulting in low pressure.

The works involve the decommissioning of approximately 330m of old problematic back yard water mains. 420m of new water mains will be constructed along the public road and new service connections will be installed from the new water main to each customers property. The communities to benefit from these improvement works are:

• Templemichael
• Bannon Terrace

It is likely that the service connections currently serving these properties from the old back yard services in Longford are made from lead. All new service connections will be made with modern high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic pipes to ensure a safer, more reliable supply of water to customers in the area. These works will be carried out by GMC Utilities Ltd in partnership with Longford County Council on behalf of Uisce Éireann. This project will commence in the 7th of December, 2020.

A survey is required at each property within this community. The individual survey is undertaken to assess the current water connection arrangement for that property and discuss the best way to connect the new service to the customer homes. Access to the customers property is required to undertake this survey.

Customers to benefit from these improvement works will be contacted directly by GMC Utilities Ltd to provide information about the required works and to discuss a suitable time to carry out and individual survey.

The works when they commence 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. Where water mains are being constructed traffic management may be in place during this time. Local and emergency traffic will be maintained at all times.

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.

More information

For further information you can contact the Project Team at team@water.ie.