Critical repairs being carried out to secure drinking water supplies for 40,000 people in Drogheda

Information below is relevant until further updates are provided here or on our Supply and Service Updates section

Uisce Éireann would like to remind customers that it is progressing a critical project to repair a major water main that supplies drinking water to Drogheda. These essential works are necessary to repair a leak on a section of the pipeline that is likely to burst if not fixed. A burst on this pipeline would result in unplanned and widespread water outages impacting the community in Drogheda.  

Speaking about the critical nature of the project, Stephen Burke, Uisce Éireann, commented: “A specialist team is ready to carry out these essential repairs. Excavation work, and contingency planning are ongoing, and the water will be switched off at 10.30 tonight Friday 30 August. This is a complex repair as the pipe is old and in a difficult location, it is expected that water will be back to customers  throughout the day tomorrow . We are carrying out the works over the weekend, and at night to minimise the impact on schools, hospitals and businesses. We have reached out to vulnerable customers and stakeholders that could be affected by the outage. Our aim is to return supplies as quickly as possible,”.

Supplies are expected to return throughout the day on Saturday, however those on higher ground or at the end of the network may experience disruption or an intermittent supply for a number of hours. A project update will be issued tomorrow morning Saturday 31 August.

As supplies return to normal customers may experience discolouration to their supply as a result of the repairs. In the event of discolouration, running the tap for several minutes will usually restore water to a clear colour. For more information, please customers can visit our discolouration page.

To facilitate the safe delivery of the project, traffic management will remain in place along a portion of the carriageway of the Drogheda Retail Park Roundabout and along a section of the L-1003 to the turn for the Newgrange Business Park until Sunday 1 September. Local and emergency traffic access will be maintained. 

Uisce Éireann acknowledges the inconvenience caused by interruptions to water supply and thanks the community in Drogheda for their patience and cooperation while we deliver these essential works.

Customers in Drogheda can access alternative water supplies at the following locations: 

• O Raghallaigh GFC A92FDK6
• Newtown Blues GFC A92TY82
• Dalys Centra (AKA Johns Shop) A92K759
• The Black Bull Inn A92EPH2

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. 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 our Water Service Updates page.