Light at the end of the road and water works tunnel in Drumconrath

Work on replacing the old water main in Drumconrath will continue for another two weeks, with traffic delays continuing and drops in water pressure continuing throughout the construction period.

The work began over two weeks ago to replace old and problematic water mains in Drumconrath to provide a more reliable water supply and reduce high levels of leakage. The works are being carried out as part of Irish Water’s National Leakage Reduction Programme.

“This will improve the water supply considerably,” said Cllr Michael Gallagher. “The work is being done at this time, to ensure that when the roads in the village are resurfaced in the new year, they will not have to be dug up again.”

“People may experience pressure drops or outages during the day while work is being carried out but service will resume each night,” he said.

Cllr Gallagher said that while a stop/go traffic system is in place in the village, local businesses haven't seen too much disruption to business.

“There had been a lot of concern before the work started, but people are working around it. It should be a good job and will provide a more reliable water supply.”

The project involves the replacement of almost 400 metres of aged, problematic water mains along the R165, from junction L3403 to junction L3404 Old Court. These old mains, which are prone to frequent bursts and leakage which impacted supply, will be replaced with modern pipes. The project will also diminish existing leaks, reducing the amount of clean drinking water lost into the ground.

The project also involves laying new water service connections from the public water main in the road to customers’ property boundaries and connecting it to the customer’s water supply. The works may involve some short-term supply interruptions, but customers are given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any planned water interruptions.

Cllr Gallagher said the work on the water mains and the resurfacing of the road early next year are very badly needed.

“The road surface in the village has been in a terrible condition for some time. It is great to get the work done and with plans for safety measures at the school next year too, the whole area will be much safer,” he said.

Matt Thomson, Leakage Reduction Programme Regional Lead with Irish Water, said: “We are delighted with this major investment for Drumconrath. Replacing these old and damaged pipes is a first step in tackling water pressure and leakage issues which have been affecting homes and businesses. The works will not only reduce the amount of drinking water lost to leakage, but it will also deliver a much more reliable supply for generations to come.

“On behalf of Irish Water, I would like thank the local community for their patience and cooperation as the project progresses, however, based on previous experiences, we know that the short-term inconvenience will be overshadowed by the long-term benefits.”