Upgrades to improve water supply and reduce leakage in Tralee

Following the good news recently that businesses can soon fully reopen, Tralee, like many other towns around the country began to gear itself up to welcome thousands of holiday makers this summer. And there is more good news for homes and businesses in the High Street and Strand Street part of the town today as Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Kerry County Council are set to replace 800m of ageing, problematic cast iron water mains with work commence on Wednesday 19 May.

The works will pass along High Street from the Day Place/Bridge Street junction to the Strand Street/O'Rahilly Villas junction and will be carried out on behalf of Uisce Éireann by Kerry County Council. The collaborative works are scheduled for completion eleven weeks from the commencement date and in order to safely and efficiently carry out the water main rehabilitation works, some traffic management will be required, however local access and access to Bon Secours hospital will be maintained at all times. There will also be some minor diversions at times but these will be communicated once approved. The works 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.

This mains replacement project is being carried out as part of Uisce Éireann's National Leakage Reduction Programme and will also involve laying new water service connections from the public water main in the road to customers property boundaries and, connecting it to the customers' water supply. Where the existing service connections on the public side are lead pipes, these will be replaced with polyethylene (plastic) pipes as part of this improvement work.

Speaking about the works, Networks Programmes Regional Lead for Uisce Éireann, Steven Blennerhassett said; "The business community have had a tough year and a half and we are delighted to be able to bring a safer and more reliable water supply to the residents and businesses of High Street and Strand Street, Tralee. The benefits of these works will come by way of replacing water mains and service connections that will reduce the instances of bursts and the occurrences of water outages which will ensure a reliable supply of water to customers and local businesses in the area.

"This work will also eliminate existing leaks and reduce the amount of clean drinking water lost into the ground, which is hugely important. In 2018 the rate of leakage nationally was 46%, by the end of 2019 it was 42% and we are currently on course to achieving a national leakage rate of 38% by 2021. Additionally, on completion, the works will deliver cost savings by providing improved water network operation that will require less maintenance in the future. Finally, I would like to thank the residents for their patience as we carry out these essential works."

Customers have been notified about the works and can phone Uisce Éireann on 1800 278 278 if they have any questions about the project or check out the Supply and Service Updates section of our website for regular updates.

The National Leakage Reduction Programme helps provide a more reliable water supply to Irish communities by reducing high levels of leakage and improving water quality. Its delivery represents an investment of over €500 million between 2017 and 2021 to reduce leakage and replace old pipes on the water network. Uisce Éireann continues to work currently with our Local Authority partners, contractors and others to safeguard the health and well-being of both staff and the public and to ensure the continuity of critical drinking water and wastewater services. Uisce Éireann would like to remind people to follow the HSE COVID-19 advice and ensure frequent handwashing. Uisce Éireann is working proactively with our delivery partners and as part of a multi-agency working group to ensure that our construction works are carried out in a controlled and safe manner, in keeping with Government and HSE guidelines to protect workers, their families and the broader community.