Essential planned water outage tonight for Drogheda and surrounds

Uisce Éireann has said it wishes to remind customers that tonight, its crews are carrying out critical overnight works to help protect drinking water supplies for more than 45,000 people across Drogheda and surrounding communities.

It has identified a damaged section of pipeline that requires urgent intervention. Carrying out the works in a planned and controlled manner will significantly reduce the likelihood of a sudden burst and the widespread disruption that could follow.

To minimise disruption to customers, the repair has been scheduled overnight from 10pm tonight, Friday, 11 September until 6am on Saturday, 12 September, when water demand is typically at its lowest.

While customers in Drogheda, including the surrounding areas of Clogherhead, Ganderstown, Termonfeckin, Ballymackenny, Laurence’s Park, Beaulieu Village, Termonabbey, Cross Lane, Moneymore, Ballymakenny Road, Cord Road , Newfoundwell Road, Boyne, Ashfield, North Road, Lourdes, Loughboy, Trinity Street, Patrick Street, Marsh Road, Rathmullan Road, Marleys Lane, Ballsgrove Estate, Rathmullan, Haymarket, Wheaton Hall, Cedarfield, Marian Park, Platin Road, Dublin Road, Donore Industrial Estate, may experience supply interruptions, completing the works during overnight will help reduce the impact on homes, businesses, schools and healthcare facilities.

Speaking about the critical nature of the works, Regional Operational Manager, Stephen Burke Uisce Éireann, commented: "These works are essential to help protect drinking water supplies for thousands of customers across Drogheda and the surrounding area.

“While we recognise that any interruption to water supply is inconvenient, carrying out this repair now will help reduce the risk of a major burst and a much more significant unplanned disruption in the future.

“Our teams have been preparing extensively for this complex repair. We'll be working throughout the night to complete the works safely and restore supplies as quickly as possible.

“We are engaging directly with vulnerable customers and key local stakeholders to help them prepare, and we sincerely thank the community for its patience and understanding while these important works are carried out."

Full water supply is expected to return throughout the day on Saturday, however those on higher ground or at the end of the network may experience lower pressure or intermittent supply for a number of hours while the network refills.

As supplies return to normal, Uisce Éireann says customers may experience temporary discolouration. This can happen after repairs on the network and is usually resolved by running the cold kitchen tap for a few minutes until the water runs clear.

For more information, please customers can visit: www.water.ie/water-supply/supply-issues/discoloured-water/

Updates on this work can be found on the Uisce Éireann Supply and Service map by entering the following reference number in the search bar on water.ie: LOU00119918

Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communications from us for planned and unplanned outages lasting more than four hours. To register as a vulnerable customer or as an alternative contact, visit the Vulnerable Customers page. 

Uisce Éireann said it is committed to keeping customers informed across multiple platforms 24/7 and encourages customers to engage with it through its website, X channel @IWCare, and through its customer care helpline which is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278. 

Uisce Éireann has 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