One of Donegal’s biggest water supply blackspots is to get an overhaul in the hope of drastically reducing leaks.
Houses and businesses in Falcarragh have been forced to undergo continuous water outages in recent years.
On many occasions hairdressers and coffee shops were forced to remain closed because they could not be guaranteed a water supply.
Now Irish Water is to begin a large scale water mains replacement in the town at the end of this month.
The company will replace more than 300 metres of old water mains along the L-11131 Oldtown Road.
Irish Water maintain this will significantly reduce bursts and give locals a more reliable water supply when works are completed by October.
Laying new pipes as part of Irish Water’s National Leakage Reduction Programme will also reduce the amount of treated drinking water lost underground.
Irish Water’s Networks Regional lead Declan Cawley is looking forward to starting work in Falcarragh.
He said “Working with Donegal County Council, we prioritise leakage reduction works in the areas that need it most. Removing old pipes from the public water network in Falcarragh will have major benefits for the supply in the area.”
To facilitate the safe delivery of the project, it’s necessary to close the L11131 between L1113 and L11132 from Monday, 29 August to Friday, 16 September. Traffic will be diverted but local and emergency access will be accommodated at all times.
Irish Water customers may experience some short-term interruptions to their water supply, but the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any planned interruption.
“We understand that this type of work can be inconvenient for local residents but work crews will make every effort to minimise any disruptions these necessary works cause. We thank the community for their continued co-operation and patience,” explained Declan.
Farrans Construction will deliver the project on behalf of Irish Water.
Customers with questions about the project can call Irish Water on 1800 278 278 or contact them on Twitter @IWCare. For further updates please see the Irish Water website www.water.ie