GMC Utilities Group has been appointed to improve the water supply in Aughnacliffe., Co Longford.

The project will commence in September and involves the replacement of approximately 2.2 km of aged water mains with new modern pipes along Smear Lane to Smear Water Treatment Plant and from Bradys Plant Hire to Smear Road in Cornadrung.

When completed, the upgrade will provide a more reliable water supply and reduce the amount of treated drinking water lost to leakage. The works are a critical step in conserving our precious resource and reducing high levels of leakage which have been a significant source of disruption and outages for customers.

Programme Manager, for Uisce Éireann's National Leakage Reduction Programme, Matt Thomson is looking forward to getting crews on site. "Old and damaged water mains remain a huge source of leakage and continue to impact communities right across Ireland, causing low pressure and supply disruption. Replacing these old water mains in poor condition will eliminate existing leaks and significantly reduce the amount of clean drinking water lost into the ground.

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"The delivery of these essential works will help provide a safer, more secure water supply for Aughnacliffe, by minimising the frequency of bursts and improving the resilience of the network.

"We would like to thank the community in Aughnacliffe in advance for their patience and cooperation during the works, we know based on previous experiences that the short-term inconvenience will be overshadowed by the lasting benefits."

To deliver the works safely and efficiently, traffic management in the form of a stop/go system will be in place from Smear Lane to Smear Water Treatment Plant and a road closure required from Bradys Plant Hire to Smear Road. Diversions will be in place and communicated locally, however, local and emergency access will always be maintained.

The works may involve some short-term water interruptions and the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any planned water interruptions.

The project is due to be completed by the end of October 2023.