Works begin to replace 5km of decades old pipes in Tralee Town

Uisce Éireann will commence works next week to upgrade the water infrastructure in Tralee town, replacing almost 5km of ageing water mains with new larger, pipes. The existing pipes were prone to bursts and leaks, leading to supply interruptions and the loss of treated drinking water, a valuable resource we all depend on.

The project will help ensure a more reliable water supply for home and businesses across Tralee, strengthen the local network, reduce disruption, and increase capacity to support sustainable growth and development.  Works will begin at Oakpark Road and Killeen Road, progressing to the R556 before finishing at Racecourse Road.

Jack Cronin, Programme Manager with Uisce Éireann is looking forward to getting this essential project underway. “Every pipe we replace is guided by one clear goal: providing a water supply people can count on. These improvements make a difference every single day, in every tap, home and throughout the community. By focusing on delivering a more reliable supply, we’re helping to build a stronger, more resilient water service for the people of Tralee town,” said Jack.

Works are anticipated to begin the week of 08 June and will also include installing new water service connections from the public water main on the road to customers’ property boundaries and linking them to the customers’ water supply.   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. To safely and efficiently deliver these works, a night working period has been granted by Kerry County Council.

Ward and Burke Construction Ltd is carrying out the works on behalf of Uisce Éireann with the project expected to be completed in Spring 2027.

Customers can phone Uisce Éireann on 1800 278 278 if they have any questions about the project or visit the Water Supply Updates section of the Uisce Éireann website for regular updates. Uisce Éireann has a free text service, providing real-time updates for local issues. Customers can sign up with their Eircode and mobile number at Text updates.

Uisce Éireann is responsible for delivering public drinking water and wastewater services for the people of Ireland. We are committed to enabling communities to thrive by continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support sustainable growth and development, providing safe drinking water, and enhancing the environment.

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.