Major upgrade to take place at one of Donegal's worst burst pipe blackspots

A major upgrade of water infrastructure in Donegal Town is set to take place, with close to 900m of old pipes being replaced.

Irish Water crews will arrive in Donegal Town this month, tackling one of the area’s worst blackspots for burst pipes and water outages. 

Leaks in the area are disruptive to homeowners and businesses, and can also be the source of major traffic delays when repairs are being carried out on what is one of the busiest roads in and out of Donegal Town.

The team will replace more than 860 metres of old water mains in Clareden Drive and Drumlaght which will significantly reduce bursts and give locals a more reliable water supply when works are completed by December. 

Laying new pipes as part of Irish Water’s National Leakage Reduction Programme will also reduce the amount of treated drinking water lost underground. 

The project will also involve laying new water service connections from the public water main in the road to customers’ property boundaries and connecting it to the customers’ water supply. Where the existing service connections on the public side are lead, these will be replaced as part of this improvement work.

Irish Water’s Networks Regional Lead Declan Cawley says he is looking forward to starting work in Donegal Town. 

“Working with Donegal County Council, we prioritise leakage reduction works in the areas that need it most,” he said.

“Removing old pipes from the public water network in Clareden Drive and Drumlaght will have major benefits for the supply in the area.”

The works will take place along the L1995, from the River Eske Water Treatment Plant to the N56. From there the works will progress along the N56 to the Clareden Drive junction with the R267. 

The final phase of works will take place along the R267 from the Clareden Drive junction to the Cleary Centre, a stretch of road notorious for leaks and burst pipes. 

To facilitate the safe delivery of the project, it’s necessary to close the L1995 for the duration of the works. Traffic will be diverted but local and emergency access will be accommodated at all times. 

Irish Water customers may experience some short-term interruptions to their water supply. However, the organisation says that the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice prior to any planned interruption.

Mr Cawley said: “We understand that this type of work can be inconvenient for local residents but work crews will make every effort to minimise any disruptions these necessary works cause. 

“We thank the community for their continued cooperation and patience.”

Customers with questions about the project can call Irish Water on 1800 278 278 or make contact via Twitter @IWCare. 

Further updates are available at the Irish Water website www.water.ie

Farrans Construction will deliver the project on behalf of Irish Water.