Uisce Éireann to progress emergency repair work in North Dublin

Uisce Éireann is progressing a critical works to repair a major water main that supplies drinking water to Swords, Santry, Malahide, Portmarnock, Kinsealy, Lissenhall, Donabate, Portrane, Clarehall Malahide Road, Donaghmede and surrounding areas. 

The repair will result in reduced pressure to these areas, and in some cases intermittent discolouration or loss of supply. These works are essential to mend a major leak we identified; the water main is likely to completely rupture if not fixed immediately. A rupture on this main would result in unplanned and widespread water outages impacting large areas of North County Dublin.

To avoid major disruption to homes and businesses the repair works will commence on Friday 25 October at 9pm. Due to the size of this pipeline and complexity of the works, specialist teams will work through the night to complete the repair and restore normal water supply as quickly as possible on Saturday 26 October. It’s expected the pressure will start to return to normal  around lunchtime, however it may take between 6 – 12 hours for normal supply to be fully restored to all areas as the water refills the network, especially for those on higher ground or at the end of the network. Alternative water supplies will be available in affected areas for the duration of the outage.

Speaking about the critical nature of the project, Stephen Burke, Uisce Éireann, commented: “This section of water main is leaking approximately one million litres of water per day, equivalent to three swimming pools, and is at risk of bursting and causing major disruption for customers, unless repair works are carried out imminently. This is a complex and challenging project due to the size, and location of the pipe.

“Extensive preparation has taken place to enable us to carry out these works and minimise impact on water supplies including the provision of water tankers. Our dedicated teams are in the process of contacting vulnerable customers and other stakeholders that will be impacted by this critical repair. The works are taking place over the weekend and at night to reduce the impact that this will have on families and businesses across North Dublin.”

Given the location of the repair there won’t be any traffic disruption. Uisce Éireann acknowledges the inconvenience caused by these essential repairs and thanks the communities across North Dublin for their patience and cooperation while we deliver these emergency repair works.

Customers who experience intermittent loss to supply can access alternative water supplies at the following locations:

• Seaview Park Portrane
• Island View Malahide
• Donabate/Portrane Community Centre Car Park
• St. Finian’s Catholic Church, Swords South
• St. Colmcille’s GAA Club, Swords North
• Portmarnock Sports and Leisure Club

Customers are reminded to use their own containers when taking water from the tanker and, as a precaution, boil the water before drinking.

As per best practice, most homes and businesses will have on-site water storage to provide a backup source of water for sanitation purposes. Uisce Éireann advises customers to familiarise themselves with their storage capacity.

The Uisce Éireann customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on X @IWCare with any queries. For updates please visit the Water Supply Updates section of water.ie  

Uisce Éireann has launched a free text service, providing real-time updates for local issues. Customers can sign up with their Eircode and mobile number at www.water.ie