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LAST UPDATE | 29 Jan
WATER HAS BEEN restored following outages in parts of Dublin this afternoon as Uisce Éireann continues work to repair a burst water mains.
The major water main burst at Edge’s Corner in Fairview in the early hours of this morning, causing significant flooding in the area.
The areas affected include Bayside, Collins Avenue, Howth Road, Raheny, Clontarf, Artane, Fairview, Kilbarrack, North Strand and Drumcondra.
According to a statement by Uisce Éireann this evening, the number of customers experiencing disruption has reduced from approximately 100,000 to less than 5,000.
Most of those still affected are experiencing reduced pressure rather than a full loss of supply, a spokesperson for Uisce Éireann said.
It’s expected that repairs will be complete by 10pm tonight, however, it may take a number of hours for normal pressure to return.
With normal supply expected to return this evening and tonight, Uisce Éireann is encouraging households to check their internal plumbing systems for internal airlocks which can occasionally occur after this type of work.
As water returns, customers may experience some short-term discolouration. In the event of discolouration, running the cold kitchen tap for several minutes will usually restore the water to a clear colour, Uisce Éireann advised.
“Crews have been working in challenging, water‑logged conditions since early this morning to isolate and repair the burst with final works now underway,” the spokesperson for Uisce Éireann said.
“Throughout the incident, Uisce Éireann also ensured continuity of service for critical customers, including hospitals, and contacted vulnerable customers to offer support while repairs progressed.”
Water has now been restored to the vast majority of homes and businesses in north Dublin following this morning’s burst water main in Fairview, with repair works continuing to progress well.
Fairview Road was closed completely to traffic for a number of hours, but reopened shortly after 11am.
Speaking earlier, the company’s water network operations manager Keith Conmy said the repair is being carried out “as quickly and as safely as possible”.
“We understand the significant impact this incident is having on households experiencing water outages, as well as the considerable disruption being caused to traffic,” he said.
It typically takes three to four hours for normal supply to return to all customers after repair works, according to Uisce Éireann.
Once water is restored, people may experience temporary discolouration as the network refills. If this happens, they should run the cold kitchen tap until the water runs clear.
It was a difficult morning for commuters in Dublin this morning due to the knock-on effects of Storm Chandra, but the disruption to rail and bus services has been largely resolved.
Iarnród Éireann said the DART line between Malahide and Howth Junction has reopened after fallen tree has been removed from the line.
Northern Commuter services are still experiencing delays of around 10-15 minutes, with DART services seeing 20-minute delays.
For the Belfast Enterprise train service, the line is closed between Newry and Belfast. A bus transfer is operating between both cities. Some 14 trains have been cancelled, with others amended. You can find a list of these services here.
Rosslare Line services remain suspended due to flooding on the line at Enniscorthy, with bus transfers not possible from the town’s station. Iarnród Éireann said a train service will operate from Gorey to Dublin Connolly.
“We’re still working to repair damage to signalling equipment that was caused due to the flooding, but we’re confident that we’ll be back running a full service there at some point today,” Iarnród Éireann’s Jane Cregan told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland this morning.
Amid the continued travel disruption, Met Éireann has warned that there is more rain on the way.
A Status Yellow rain warning is in place for Carlow, Dublin, Kilkenny, Louth, Wexford, Wicklow and Waterford until midnight.
The national forecaster said further heavy rain and showers falling on saturated ground, combined with high river levels, may result in more localised flooding, river flooding and difficult travel conditions.
Met Éireann forecaster Holly O’Neill told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland this morning that it is “likely that we are going to see further localised flooding” in parts of the south, southeast and possibly parts further east.
“It’s just the way that those bands of rain are moving in, it’s likely that we’ll see Munster and parts of Leinster as well being mostly impacted,” she said.
“With the grounds being so saturated, and with the rivers being so high, any further amount of rainfall that we’re going to get is going to have a greater impact than maybe that amount of rainfall would normally have on any other day.
“It’s just because that rain has nowhere to go.”
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