The first three locations which will experience outages should customers not comply, were also revealed.
Irish Water is urging consumers in counties Louth and Meath to curb their water use following the bursting of a pipe which serves parts of Drogheda and East Meath.
While customers affected still have access have water, they are being asked to conserve the reserve they do have until Irish Water can confirm a timeline for resumption of a normal water supply.
In a statement released at 8.30am on Thursday morning, the water utility company confirmed that alternative water suppliers are being allocated and work on the repair is underway.
“A burst occurred last night (Wednesday, 30 May) on the pipeline serving the Staleen Water Treatment Plant which serves Drogheda & East Meath. Repair crews have been on site throughout the night to excavate the area and locate the burst. Work on the repair is currently underway.
“The burst is close to the same location as the burst which occurred last year.”
The statement in full continues to say that, at time of writing, Ashbourne, Ratoath and Duleek are the three most vulnerable areas when it comes to water outages.
“The treated drinking water reservoir serving Drogheda and East Meath has enough water to maintain a water supply to customers for the present. We are asking all customers to conserve water until we can confirm a timeline for resumption of a normal water supply. Ashbourne, Ratoath and Duleek would be the first areas to experience water outages.
“Water supply is being supplied to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and we are also prioritising schools, nursing homes, crèches and vulnerable customers. Alternative water supplies are being mobilised and water tankers and bottled water will be deployed. We will confirm locations of these this morning. We are also prioritising the water supply to key events that are taking place in the area over today.
“While we are hopeful that the repair on this occasion will be achieved in a shorter timeframe and our full Crisis Management Team is in place so that we will have contingency measures in place to respond to whatever circumstances arise.
“Irish Water has approved the budget and design for a new pipeline to replace the existing lines. The new pipelines have been procured. We are in the final stages of resolving all of the contractual and regulatory issues to begin mobilisation of construction of this pipeline within weeks and we are aiming to have the programme completed by year end.”
At time of writing, Irish Water has confirmed that a water supply is being maintained to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, with a number of alternative water supplies being mobilised in several locations set to be confirmed throughout the morning.
Last July, a collapsed water main left 80,000 people and businesses across the north-east without water for almost a week.
Water service was finally resumed in the towns of Duleek, Lagavoreen, Donore, Ashbourne, Stamullen, Kentstown, and Ardcath following a “complex” repair to a burst water main.
Separately, Irish Water also faced criticism just over a year ago following the publishing of a report by EPA stating that a vast number of areas around the country are currently not complying with EU standards of the treatment of wastewater.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
