Irish Water is progressing with the Swords water main rehabilitation project - the water company is set invest approximately €8 million to replace the strategic trunk water main to provide a more reliable water supply for local homes and businesses.

Irish Water and Fingal County Council are working in partnership on the project and are currently carrying out design and planning works. Advance works are ongoing and are programmed for completion by the end of September. Contract documents are currently being finalised for the works and will be progressed to the tender stage later this year.

The project will replace the aging water main which has a long history of bursting and causing significant disruption to customers in Swords. On completion of the works, it is estimated that 44 million litres of water will be saved every month. The mains rehabilitation work will provide a more reliable water supply for homes and businesses in Swords and to customers in Malahide and Portmarnock served by the Malahide Reservoir.

Commenting on the project Padraig Hanly, Water Rehabilitation Leakage Programmes Regional Lead said:

“The Swords Water Main Rehabilitation Project is a priority project for Irish Water. Over the last 40 years this water main has had a long history of bursting. The replacement of the water main forms part of Irish Water’s investment to improve the water and wastewater infrastructure in Fingal. Replacing the water main will ensure that customers in Swords and in parts of Malahide and Portmarnock will have a more reliable and secure supply which will result in fewer disruptions to their water supply”.

The construction contract is scheduled to take approximately 21 months to complete.

Irish Water will spend €532 million on water services in 2016. Capital investment in the region of €700 million per year is needed for a sustained period of several decades to address the poor condition of Ireland’s water infrastructure.