Sutton to benefit from improved water supply and reduced leakage

Uisce Éireann has begun essential water main replacement works in Sutton that will provide a more reliable water supply for local homes and businesses, reduce the risk of bursts and outages, and help conserve treated drinking water by significantly reducing leakage in the area.

As part of the works, our crews will be replacing ageing backyard water mains and delivering almost 250m of new modern pipes along Station Road, Burrow in Sutton. 

Backyard service replacements are a crucial element of our national Leakage Reduction Programme. By decommissioning these old, shared backyard services and replacing them with modern, durable water mains, a significant source of hidden leakage is eliminated. This means more water stays in the network, pressure improves for homes and businesses, and less treated drinking water is wasted.  

In some older neighbourhoods, water connections were installed to the rear of properties and shared between households. These backyard services, often made of iron or lead, have aged significantly, making them prone to leaks, bursts and reduced pressure. Because they run through several gardens, they are difficult to access and repair, and one home’s supply cannot be switched off without affecting others. Replacing these shared arrangements with modern individual connections at the front of each home provides safer, more reliable water for every household.  

Speaking about the project, Declan Healy of Uisce Éireann, said, "These works are about delivering real benefits for the people who live and work in Sutton. By replacing ageing infrastructure, we can improve the reliability of the local water supply, reduce the likelihood of bursts and outages, and make the network more resilient for the future." 

"We would like to thank the local community in advance for their patience and cooperation while we deliver these essential water network improvements." 

Crews will work home by home, collaborating with customers to ensure new connections are installed with minimal disruption.  The works will be carried out on behalf of Uisce Éireann by GMC Utilities Group and are expected to be completed by the end of September, with permanent reinstatement to follow later in the year. We have measures in place to keep disruption to an absolute minimum but, to protect the public and our crews, a traffic management system will be in place during the works. Local and emergency traffic will always be maintained.   

This project is one example of how Uisce Éireann works every day to reduce leaks. With more than 65,000 km of underground pipes nationally- enough to circle the earth one and a half times - fixing leaks can be complicated. Many are hidden, but we are making progress: National leakage is now at its lowest level ever, reduced from 49% in 2014 to 36% today.  

To learn more, visit our National Leakage Reduction Programme page.