Uisce Éireann said multi-million-euro works will switch customers from Poulavanogue to an enhanced Monroe plant, strengthen resilience across the network, and make greater use of the Giantsgrave Reservoir.

Homes, businesses and communities across Clonmel are set to benefit from a more secure and resilient drinking water supply as Uisce Éireann prepares to finish the Clonmel Water Supply Upgrade Project in the coming weeks.

The programme will reinforce the town’s drinking water infrastructure, providing a safer, more dependable service and enabling fuller use of the existing Giantsgrave Reservoir to increase security of supply across Clonmel.

The investment addresses long-standing challenges linked to the Poulavanogue Water Supply Scheme. Built in the 1950s, the Poulavanogue Water Treatment Plant has increasingly struggled with ageing infrastructure, limitations in source capacity and water quality risks, affecting the long-term sustainability and resilience of the supply.

Poulavanogue is also vulnerable to operational shutdowns, during which no water can be produced at the plant and supplies must be transferred from neighbouring systems to maintain service. The source is exposed to raw water quality risks, including the potential for cryptosporidium and other microbiological issues that cannot be adequately treated at source.

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In addition, the current sources are not sustainable in the long term and do not have the capacity to meet the needs of Clonmel’s growing population. The Mountain Road site was assessed and found physically unsuitable for the scale of upgrade required to deliver a resilient, future-proof water supply. For these reasons, Poulavanogue is not considered a sustainable long-term source of drinking water for the town.

Instead, the Clonmel Water Supply Upgrade Project provides a sustainable path to secure the town’s supply. Once complete, customers previously served by Poulavanogue will receive water from the upgraded Monroe Water Treatment Plant via a modern, more resilient network. The works include an upgrade of the Monroe plant, a new pumping station at Rathronan, the construction of new water mains across Clonmel and network improvements designed to bolster security of supply and resilience.

Programme Manager Darragh Hannon said: "Uisce Éireann is committed to providing safe, reliable drinking water, and our major upgrade of Clonmel's drinking water infrastructure is now nearing completion.

"This significant multi-million-euro investment will help provide homes and businesses across Clonmel with a safer, more reliable and resilient water supply for years to come.

"The Poulavanogue supply has faced challenges arising from ageing infrastructure, operational constraints and water quality risks. This project addresses those challenges by connecting the area to a more secure and resilient supply, helping to safeguard water services for the community into the future."

The project is part of a wider programme of investment across South Tipperary and County Tipperary. Between 2025 and 2029, Uisce Éireann plans to invest approximately €215.3 million in water and wastewater infrastructure county-wide to improve water quality, build resilience and support a population of about 160,000 people.

Alongside the Clonmel scheme, major upgrades are advancing at Goatenbridge and Rossadrehid Water Treatment Plants, with improvement works ongoing at Glenary. Across Tipperary, more than 40km of water mains have been upgraded or are progressing through Uisce Éireann's Leakage Reduction Programme, helping to cut bursts, improve resilience and protect supplies.