2023 promises Donegal tourist town a dependable water supply

Pipelaying crews, currently on the ground replacing an old water main between Bundoran Water Treatment Plant and Leitrim’s Derryherk Reservoir which supplies the Donegal town, will complete upgrade works by the end of January. 

In the past, experienced water services teams and the reservoir’s capacity have meant that the people of Bundoran rarely experience outages when the old pipes between Bundoran (Lough Melvin) Treatment Plant and Derryherk Reservoir burst. However, the replacement of the water main will put an end to the threat of interruptions to the supply. 

The project underpins the importance of having one national utility for the provision of water and wastewater services, explained Irish Water’s Networks Regional Lead Declan Cawley. 

“These works will ensure that this stretch of main pipe transporting water to Bundoran requires less maintenance in the future. This project, under the National Leakage Reduction Programme, will ensure a much more reliable water supply for Donegal’s most southerly town. 

“It will also put a stop to the loss of precious treated water underground,” Declan added. 

Between now and the end of January Farrans Construction, working on behalf of Irish Water, will lay 1.5km of new water main along the L-60841. 

Because of the location of the works, there will be very little disruption to traffic, However, areas of work will be limited to short sections to minimise any inconvenience. If any planned interruptions to the supply are required, the project team will ensure that customers affected are given at least 48 hours’ notice. 

Customers with questions about the project can call Irish Water on 1800 278 278 or contact us on Twitter @IWCare. For further updates please see the Irish Water website www.water.ie

Since 2018, Irish Water has invested more than €500 million to upgrade the underground water network across the country through the delivery of the National Leakage Reduction Programme. We are investing a further €250 million every year up to the end of 2030 - fixing leaks and replacing pipes to provide a more reliable water supply. For more information on the Leakage Reduction Programme, please visit www.water.ie/reducingleaks