Planned water outage in Dunboyne tomorrow

As part of ongoing works in Dunboyne, Uisce Éireann has notified customers of a planned outage which is scheduled to take place tomorrow (Tuesday) from 9.30am until 4pm.

The planned outage is to facilitate essential works along Station Road which will help to address water supply issues that have been impacting customers in Dunboyne.

Michael Cunniffe of Uisce Éireann apologised for the inconvenience but said that it is one of the short-term solutions required to improve operational efficiencies in the town.

The announcement comes after weeks of watershortages in Dunboyne and a meeting between local public representatives and Uisce Eireann last Thursday.

Mr Cunniffe said; “We acknowledge the impact that a planned outage has on our customers, and we assure affected customers that our crews will work as quickly as possible to carry out these essential valve replacement works and restore normal supply.”

"Typically, it takes two to three hours for normal supply to be restored to all customers. However, it may take longer for normal supply to be restored to customers on higher ground or at the end of the network.

"Operational measures and survey works are continuing to take place in Dunboyne. Uisce Éireann Find and Fix leakage repair crews are working hard to identify leakage in the area and schedule repairs on the network as soon as possible which will improve water supply to customers.

"Pressure loggers have also been installed at key locations on the distribution network to accurately profile all areas with low pressure in Dunboyne.

"Local upgrades have been identified that will help improve current low-pressure issues in many areas. This will involve network configuration and making new cross connections to remove hydraulic bottlenecks in the existing supply setup."

Alternative water supplies in the form of four IBC tanks are located in Kilbreena and Plunkett Hall housing estates.

Uisce Éireann says it has scheduled the construction of 3.1km of new watermain to supply water to the greater Dunboyne area. The M3 Parkway project will improve the capacity of the existing water network in the area, while improving performance and reducing demands on the current network. This project is being delivered as part of Uisce Éireann’s Growth and Development Programme. Uisce Éireann is currently progressing detailed designs of this project which is due to commence in Q2 this year and is expected to be completed in Q1 2027.

The works were outlined to public representatives from the area at the meeting on Thursday.

Cllr Caroline O'Reilly said that with people in the area without water for well over a month there was a lot of cynicism around.

"People are beginning to believe it will never be solved.

"Uisce Eireann assured us there is enough water but the infrastructure is not able to carry to it all the houses. They told us the new M3 parkway project will improve the situation.

"They are also replacing the main at Millfarm from a four to six inch main, which should be a positive quick fix," she said.

Meanwhile, Uisce Eireann said this is a good time for people to spot any underground leaks outside their home or business. Signs of such leaks may include persistent moisture in areas of the lawn or driveway. Uisce Éireann’s first fix free scheme provides for a free leak repair on private property where such a leak is identified. For information on the scheme, along with lots of easy-to-follow water-saving tips, visit water.ie. To report leaks on the public network, or for more information, the Uisce Éireann helpdesk is available 24/7 at 1800 278 278