€500,000 investment in Kilkenny's rural water supply

Residents in the south Kilkenny communities of Ballygriffen, The Sweep, Owning and Belline will enjoy a more secure and reliable water supply thanks to a €500,000 investment by Irish Water in replacing aging watermains in the area.

This project involved a significant upgrade of the water supply network in the area which saw the installation of 4.5km of new watermains. More than 100 customers will benefit from significant improvements in supply and a reduction in water outages as a result. The project got underway in August and is due to be completed in mid-December.

“The replacement of this aging water mains will ensure that customers in the area will have a more reliable water supply,” said David Sharry, Southern Programmes specialist.

“Irish Water recognised the importance of upgrading the water network in Carrigeen as a result of the frequency of bursts resulting in significant disruption to the community over the winter period and last Easter.

“We prioritised work to enable the upgrade of the network as soon as possible. All work on the watermain has now been completed and we hope to conclude the commissioning process over the coming weeks.”

Aging and fragile water mains are a common problem across the country resulting from decades of under-investment in water infrastructure. Irish Water says it is committed to addressing this issue and this project is part of its ongoing investment plan. The new watermains will result in significant improvements in network performance and level of service to customers in terms of security of supply.

Watermains rehabilitation is one aspect of Irish Water’s plan to reduce leakage. Lost water is estimated at 47% nationally and 40% in Kilkenny.

Any customers with queries in relation to their water supply should contact Irish Water on 1890 278 278.