LATEST: Hundreds of Kildare people could be without water this bank holiday weekend

Uisce Éireann (UE) said it is carrying out critical and complex repair works to a major pipeline that connects Ballymore Eustace Water Treatment Plant and the Saggart Reservoir over the August Bank Holiday Weekend.

This is a major pipeline that supplies one third of the Greater Dublin Area’s (GDA) drinking water. 

UE added: "We have identified sections of the pipeline that are at risk of failing which could lead to a prolonged outage if not addressed.

"We have also identified several leaks which we will address during the works." 

To facilitate these critical repair works, customers in Kill, Arthurstown, Rathmore, Athgoe and Tipperkevin will be impacted by a water outage from 10pm Friday 1^st August to 3am Sunday 3^rd August. Alternative water supplies will be provided. 

Customers in other parts of Kildare may possibly experience interruptions to their water supply including low pressure, discoloured water, or water outages. We are making a major appeal to customers in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow to conserve water during these essential repair works. 

Regional Operations Manager at Uisce Éireann, Stephen Burke, said: “This major pipeline can only be shut down for up to 28 hours before the water storage levels become too low, which could lead to widespread supply disruption. Therefore, the specialist repair crews have a very tight deadline to finish the repairs and refill the pipeline with water. We will work through the day and night this weekend to complete these essential works as quickly and safely as possible.

"We acknowledge the inconvenience caused by the interruptions to water supply and thank the communities in North Kildare for their patience and cooperation while we deliver these essential works."

Customers who experience intermittent loss to supply can access alternative water supplies at the following locations: 

• Rathmore National School W91 VK46
• Kill Equestrian Centre, Newtown

Customers are reminded to use their own containers when taking water from the tanker and, as a precaution, boil the water before drinking. 

READ ALSO: No more water taps planned for this Kildare cemetery.

As per best practice, most homes and businesses will have on-site water storage to provide a backup source of water for sanitation purposes. Uisce Éireann advises customers to familiarise themselves with their storage capacity. 

Declan Healy, Programme Manager at Uisce Éireann, explained the complexity of the works. “We have extensively planned and prepared for carrying out these complex works over the last 9 months.

“Specialist teams will repair five leaks and replace a damaged section of pipeline. To do this, the water flowing through the pipe will be turned off temporarily and the pipeline will be drained.

“Draining the pipe will allow specialist crews will go inside the pipeline to repair five active leaks using bespoke methods. Another specialist team will remove 35 metres of degraded pipeline and install a new section of pipeline.” 

The repair's progress will be monitored closely and Uisce Éireann will keep customers updated as early as possible on the location(s) and duration of any prolonged impacts including supply disruptions, should they develop.

Following this type of work, occasionally issues such as cloudy water (air bubbles) or internal airlocks may arise. For advice on how to resolve these issues, please visit www.water.ie/help/supply/after-an-outage/. The Uisce Éireann customer care helpline is also open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on X @IWCare with any queries. 

For updates please visit the Water Supply Updates section of www.water.ie.  

Uisce Éireann acknowledges the inconvenience caused by interruptions to water supply and thanks communities for their patience and cooperation while we deliver these essential works. 

How do I prepare for the planned water supply disruptions?

Before and during the planned disruption to supply, Uisce Éireann advises customers in the affected area to: 

• Ensure you have enough drinking water: 
• Before the planned disruption, fill a jug of water and store it in your fridge. Don't drink the water from your hot water or bathroom taps as this is not drinking water.
• Turn off all pre-programmed appliances: All pre-programmed appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines or any other water-using devices should be switched off during the planned supply disruptions. This is particularly important overnight on Saturday August 2 and Sunday August 3 as your dishwasher or washing machine may empty your tank. 
• Make sure all taps in your property are turned off: This is important as it can avoid airlocks or flooding when the water returns.
• Use the water sparingly

Most storage tanks last up to 24 hours but emptying the tank may cause an airlock.

How do I Conserve Water?

Customers can help to avoid water outages for themselves and others by using less water. 

Water demand in the GDA has already reached unprecedented levels. These planned repair works will put increased pressure on the supply of drinking water. 

Reducing your water use will help safeguard water supply during the repairs, particularly to vulnerable and high-risk users including hospitals and care homes.

There are several key things that the public can do to help protect water supplies, including:

• Only use water for essential purposes this weekend, avoid washing the car, power hosing or other non-essential activities. 
• Avoid paddling pools.
• With the average shower using 7 litres of water per minute, by turning your five minute shower into four minutes, you could save up to 7 litres of water per day!
• Always ensure your dishwasher and washing machines are fully loaded. A modern washing machine uses approximately 65 litres of water per cycle while a dishwasher uses 20 litres. By ensuring they are fully loaded, not only will you conserve water but you will also reduce your energy bills.
• Don’t flush it all away: A third of all water used in the home is flushed down the toilet. Some larger cisterns can continue to work effectively with a smaller flush. Place a displacement device into the cistern (out of the way of moving parts) to save water.
• Check your home, business premises and unoccupied premises for leaks and get them fixed.
• Report any leaks you see in the public network to Uisce Éireann
• Don’t leave taps running and fix any dripping taps inside or outside your property.