Uisce Éireann marks the completion of 7km of new watermain in Navan

Homes and businesses in Navan are enjoying a safer, more reliable water supply following the construction of 7km of new watermain in the town. Navan is a thriving business and shopping location and the fifth most populated town in Ireland. Homes and businesses in the town were impacted by unplanned water outages and on some occasions flooding when bursts occurred on one of the primary water mains serving the town. 

Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Meath County Council prioritised the replacement of this watermain, through the national Leakage Reduction Programme. The works were complex given the size of the watermain and the urban surroundings and included the construction of almost 4km along Donaghmore Lane and N51 Slane Road to Navan Town, 500 metres on Flowerhill and a further 2.5km along the Proudstown Road. The works were delivered by GMC Utilities Ltd on behalf of Uisce Éireann.

Speaking about the collaboration involved in delivering the project, Mayor of Navan, Padraig Fitzsimons said, "The construction of this key piece of infrastructure demonstrates how Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Meath County Council is delivering infrastructure that is critical for our towns and our economy. The delivery of this project will support existing and future residential and commercial development in Navan and surrounding areas. As a direct result of these works the people of Navan are enjoying a more secure and reliable water supply and I would like to commend all those involved in the safe delivery of this project." 

Matthew Thomson, Regional Lead, National Leakage Reduction Programme, Uisce Éireann, speaking about the project said, "Replacing these old watermains that had a tendency to burst will help to safeguard the water supply for customers that previously experienced unplanned interruptions. The installation of the new watermains will also help to conserve water and reduce water lost to leakage.  We would especially like to thank the community and businesses for their patience and cooperation as we worked to deliver this vital water network improvement project." 

Matthew added "This project is one example of how Uisce Éireann is working in partnership with Meath County Council to reduce leaks every day. Fixing leaks can be complicated with over 63,000km of water pipe in Ireland. Most leaks aren't visible, resulting in precious water being lost but we are making progress. In 2018 the rate of leakage nationally was 46%, by the end of 2019 it was 42%, it had reduced further to 40% by the end of 2020 and we are currently on course to achieving a national leakage rate of 38% by the end of 2021".

Peter Brady, Executive Engineer, Water Services, Meath County Council, welcoming the completion of the project said, "These interruptions were causing significant disruption for the town. On some occasions when the existing pipe burst, it left the majority of the town without water effecting almost 30,000 people. These works will ensure the town has a secure and stable water supply which is a great result for the people of Navan."

Uisce Éireann is responsible for the delivery of all public water and wastewater services in Ireland. We are committed to continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support the growth needed in housing and across our economy, while protecting the environment and safeguarding water supplies. In addition to the construction of 7km of new watermain in Navan town, Uisce Éireann recently invested €9 million to carry out significant upgrades out at the Liscarton Water Treatment Plant that serves the town.