December delivery is a welcome one for Lifford townland

Works on the outskirts of Donegal's county town will deliver an early Christmas present in the form of an improved water supply. 

Gone will be the days of frequent bursts in Unshinagh with the replacement of 300metres of old cast iron pipework also promising better water quality for customers in the townland. 

Uisce Éireann crews are due to begin the works along the N15, from Unshinagh Lower to Patterson's Kitchens, in the coming days and will have the ageing pipes replaced by the end of December. 

Uisce Éireann's Networks Regional Lead Declan Cawley explained that the National Leakage Reduction Programme works will have a plethora of benefits. 

"Not only will the replacement of these pipes promise a better quality of water and a much more reliable supply for Unshinagh but they will stop the loss of treated water into the ground and help save a valuable resource." 

Temporary traffic lights will be in operation, but the areas of work will be limited to short section to minimise impact on motorists. 

Short-term interruptions to the water supply may be necessary but the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours' notice prior to any planned outages. 

"We thank the people of Unshinagh for their patience as these works progress. The long-term benefits will far outweigh the short-term inconvenience," said Declan. 

Customers with questions about the works can call Uisce Éireann on 1800 278 278 or contact us on Twitter @IWCare. For further updates please see the Uisce Éireann website.

These works are part of Uisce Éireann's campaign to reduce leakage to 25% by the end of 2030. That figure was at 46% in 2018 but had reduced to 38% last year. 

Since 2018, Uisce Éireann has invested more than €500 million to upgrade the underground water network across the country through the delivery of the National Leakage Reduction Programme and 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, visit our National Leakage Reduction Programme page.