Households in Kildare may be affected by water repairs this weekend
Customers in Kill, Arthurstown, Rathmore, Athgoe and Tipperkevin may be affected
Uisce Éireann is preparing to carry out the largest repair operation in its history as specialist crews mobilise for critical works on the Ballymore Eustace to Saggart trunk watermain over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
The major operation is part of an ongoing programme to strengthen the strategically important pipeline, reduce leakage and lower the risk of future bursts, helping protect drinking water supplies for homes, businesses and communities across Kildare, Dublin and Wicklow.
Customers in Kill, Arthurstown, Rathmore, Athgoe and Tipperkevin may experience interruptions to their water supply and periods of low pressure while the works are carried out.
Alternative water supplies will be available from 10pm on Friday, July 31, at Rathmore National School, Rathmore, Co. Kildare, and Kill International Equestrian Centre, Newtown, Kill, Co. Kildare.
Customers are advised to bring their own clean containers when collecting water and to boil the water before drinking as a precaution.
The 26km Ballymore Eustace to Saggart trunk watermain is one of the region’s most important pieces of infrastructure, supplying treated drinking water to approximately 1.7 million people across parts of Kildare, Dublin and Wicklow.
This year’s repair programme is the third phase of planned works on the pipeline, following successful repairs carried out in 2024 and 2025. Previous works have already delivered leakage savings of around 1.5 million litres of water per day while improving the resilience of the network.
During the August Bank Holiday repair window, crews will repair significant leaks and replace a damaged section of the watermain. Almost 300 personnel, including specialist engineers, technicians and operational teams, will work around the clock during the 27-hour operation to complete the works safely and restore normal service.
Nicola Butler, Programme Manager with Uisce Éireann, said the company recognised that the essential works would cause temporary disruption for some customers.
“These repairs are an important investment in strengthening this critical watermain and will help reduce the risk of more significant unplanned interruptions in the future, supporting a more reliable water supply for local communities,” she said.
Uisce Éireann Portfolio Manager Mark O’Duffy said extensive preparations had been made to minimise disruption, including ensuring treated water reservoirs supplying Kildare and surrounding counties were filled as much as possible ahead of the works.
He said the operation was taking place at a time when water supplies remained under pressure and that repairing leaks was vital to reducing water loss, safeguarding resources and protecting drinking water supplies.
Updates on the repair programme and any impacts on supplies will be available throughout the weekend through Uisce Éireann updates and its social media channels.
Customers can contact Uisce Éireann’s customer care team on 1800 278 278 or sign up for free text alerts using their Eircode and mobile number.