Irish Water is moving forward with its national campaign to drive down leakage, with further works scheduled in the County Kildare town of Newbridge.

The utility is working with Kildare County Council to replace approximately 3km of ageing and problematic backyard service connections to 340 houses in Highland Estate and Piercetown in Newbridge.

The works, which are due to begin next week in Highland Estate and on Monday 07 November in Piercetown are a critical step in conserving this precious resource and reducing high levels of leakage which have been a significant source of disruption and outages for customers.  

Backyard services are found in older areas, often installed to the rear of a customer's property and typically made of cast iron or lead. Due to the age and deteriorating condition of the pipework, they are often a significant source of leakage and supply disruption for customers. Backyard services are usually shared, running through a number of neighbouring properties making it difficult to detect and repair leaks. Where properties share a connection, leaks and bursts affect all connected properties, resulting in low pressure and/or outages.

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Speaking about the benefits of the project, Joe Carroll, Regional Delivery Lead at Irish Water, said: "Old backyard service connections are a huge source of leakage and continue to impact communities right across Ireland, causing low pressure and supply disruption. Replacing these old water mains and service connections in poor condition will eliminate existing leaks and significantly reduce the amount of clean drinking water lost into the ground. We would like to thank the local residents in Highland Estate and Piercetown for facilitating these works and working with us to provide a more secure and reliable water supply for generations to come."

These works will be carried out by Ward & Burke Construction in partnership with Kildare County Council on behalf of Irish Water. Works in Piercetown are expected to be fully completed by June 2023.