Navan water infrastructure project gets approval

Planning permission has been granted to Irish Water for a major infrastructure project to construct 16km of trunk water mains between Duleek and Navan as well as a new pumping station at Kentstown.

When completed, the project will enable Irish Water to maintain a sufficient supply of drinking water to homes and businesses in Navan during planned or unplanned disruptions at Navan’s water treatment plant at Liscarton by diverting available treated water from the recently upgraded water treatment plant at Staleen to Navan’s treated water storage reservoirs at Carne Hill and Proudstown.

The works will take place on existing public roads between Duleek and Navan on the L1610 from Boolies Little (South of Duleek) to the junction with the N2 at Balrath; on the R153 from Balrath to Kentstown; and on the R153 from Kentstown to Casey’s Cross in Navan.

The project will also require pipe-laying under the River Boyne between lands adjacent to St Mary’s Cemetery on the Boyne Road and lands adjacent to Blackcastle Estate on the Slane Road. An underground crossing will also be required under the Navan to Drogheda railway line.

To minimise the impact on the local community and the environment, the majority of this work will be carried out using modern trenchless technology, meaning much of the construction will take place almost entirely underground without large open excavations. Following the necessary statutory approvals, it is estimated that works will begin onsite in 2023.

To ensure the safe delivery of the project for crews and the public, traffic management and some road closures will be necessary. Local access and emergency access will always be maintained. Irish Water will ensure further and regular engagement with the local community throughout the project.

William McKnight, Irish Water, Infrastructure Delivery: “We are delighted to be progressing this major trunk watermain project for Meath. Trunk watermains are often described as the 'motorways' of the water network, carrying a significant amount of water at high pressure in order to supply homes and businesses. The new interconnection with the Staleen Water Treatment Plant will significantly improve, reliability and resilience of the water supply serving Navan particularly during planned or unplanned disruptions within the existing water supply infrastructure."

Pat Wickham, Snr Executive Engineer, Meath County Council, Capital Office: “This is a critical project for Navan that will provide resilience to the network and will ensure the town is capable of meeting current and future demand to enable continued development for years to come.”

Meanwhile, works to replace 1.7km of problematic water mains along the Dublin Road area of Trim have been completed, marking a significant step and investment in reducing disruption from bursts and outages which have been affecting homes and businesses in Trim.

Matt Thomson, Leakage Reduction Programme Regional Lead at Irish Water, said: “We are delighted to be making significant progress with essential upgrades for Trim with the completion of these works along the Dublin Road. In the last month we have also replaced aging Back Yard Service connections to a number of homes on Castle Street which were a significant source of leakage and supply disruption for customers as well as major upgrades to the water network along Market Street and Bridge Street.

"The complexity of these works in urban areas and the nature of the underground network, while posing challenges at times, have been overcome. Trim is beginning to see the benefits of our strategic investment in the area with homes and businesses enjoying long-term improvements to supply."