William Street, Portlaw Backyard Service Replacement Project
National Leakage Reduction Programme
Uisce Éireann, in partnership with Waterford City and County Council, has replaced ageing problematic water mains in Portlaw, Co.Waterford to provide a more reliable water supply, improve water quality and reduce high levels of leakage.
In some older estates water connections, typically made of iron or lead, were installed to the rear of the property and are often referred to as backyard service connections. The pipework due to age and deteriorating condition are a significant source of leakage and reduced levels of service. Backyard services 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 took place along William Street and George Street and involved the decommissioning of ageing back yard water mains and the delivery of 525 meters of new water mains constructed along the public road.
These works were carried out by Shareridge Utilities Ltd in partnership with Waterford City and County Council on behalf of Uisce Éireann and were completed by end of December 2022.
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.
• Improved water quality - Replacing existing old cast iron and lead from the public water network with new modern pipes will reduce the risk of contamination.
Will customers be affected by the works?
A survey was required at each property within this community. The individual survey was undertaken to assess the current water connection arrangement for that property and discuss the best way to connect the new service to the customers home.
Customers to benefit from these improvement works were contacted directly by Shareridge Utilities to provide information about the required works and to discuss a suitable time to carry out an individual survey.
The works involved some short-term water outages and the project team ensured that customers are given a minimum of 48-hours notice prior to any planned water outages. Where water mains are being constructed traffic management was in place during this time. Local and emergency traffic were maintained at all times.
We understand that this type of work can be inconvenient and works crews made every effort to minimise any disruption these necessary works cause.
More Information
Residents and businesses in the areas to benefit from the planned improvements were notified directly.
Details of any supply interruptions associated to this project were updated regularly on the Supply and Service Updates section of the Uisce Éireann website.
Customers can phone Uisce Éireann on 1800 278 278 if they have any questions about the project.
