'Old and leaky' water mains being replaced in Ballykeeran area

Earlier this month, Irish Water began work to replace almost 500 metres of old and leaky water mains at Bullet Road in Ballykeeran, Athlone.

The project will result in some short-term water outages and traffic management measures in the area.

Irish Water said it was working in partnership with Westmeath County Council to "improve the security of supply and reduce high levels of leakage" in the locality.

It said the pipes being replaced "were prone to frequent bursts and leakage which caused water supply disruptions for customers in the area," and that new high density, polyethylene (plastic) pipes are being installed as a replacement.

The work 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 customer's water supply.

Where the existing service connections on the public side are lead, these will be replaced as part of the improvement works.

"The works may involve some short-term water shut-offs and traffic management measures which we understand may cause inconvenience," said Irish Water’s national Leakage Reduction Programme Regional Lead, Matthew Thompson.

"The project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours' notice prior to any planned water shut-offs."

To facilitate the safe delivery of these works, some traffic management measures will be in place, however local and emergency access will be maintained at all times.

The works are being carried out on behalf of Irish Water by GMC Utilities, and are expected to be completed next month.