Irish Water is progressing well with work to drive down leakage and address faulty mains in Portarlington, Co Laois.

The utility and Laois County Council are working to replace nearly 500 metres of ageing and problematic backyard service connections in St Michael's Park to provide a more reliable water supply, improve water quality and reduce the amount of treated drinking water lost to leakage.

Work will begin on Monday 28 November is expected to be completed by the end of March 2023. 

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.

-- Advertisement --

Speaking about the benefits of the project, Joe Carroll, Regional Delivery Lead with 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 St Michael's Park 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 Laois County Council on behalf of Irish Water.