Works to improve watermains in Newtown, Co Offaly, have commenced.

The works are taking place along the L-6027-2 and L-7020-10 and involve the replacement of approximately 650 metres of old and problematic water mains that are prone to frequent bursts and leakage. The mains will be replaced with new, high-density, polyethylene (plastic) pipes which will improve water quality and provide the community with a more reliable supply of water.

The works 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 customer's water supply. Where the existing service connections on the public side are lead these will be replaced as part of this improvement work.

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Joe Carroll, Regional Lead with Irish Water, said: "These upgrades are part of a significant investment by Irish Water to upgrade the water network in Offaly. To date, as part of the Leakage Reduction Programme, we have delivered almost 25km of new water mains and improved the water supply for more than 28,000 customers in County Offaly since 2018. Replacing old, damaged pipes will reduce the instances of bursts and water outages and safeguard that water supply for homes and businesses now and into the future."

The works may involve some short-term water shut-offs and traffic management measures which we understand may cause inconvenience. The project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours' notice prior to any planned water shut-offs and local and emergency access will be maintained at all times.