Cllr Caroline O’Reilly has issued a direct update to residents affected by ongoing low water pressure and supply problems across Dunboyne, an issue she has been focused on since becoming an elected member. Cllr O’Reilly said she has been dealing directly with Uisce Éireann’s Operations Manager due to the growing number of households experiencing little or no water, and because vulnerable services in the community are now being impacted. Uisce Éireann has confirmed that parts of Dunboyne are experiencing low water pressure, particularly during busy times of the day when demand is highest. Areas including Summerhill Road, Kilbreena, Millfarm, The Grove and surrounding estates have been identified as being affected.
Following representations and specific requests made by Cllr O’Reilly over the Christmas period, an urgent operational review of the Dunboyne village water supply system has now been completed and a programme of works prepared. Cllr O’Reilly also sought written confirmation of the actual water pressure being supplied to homes and to the nursing home on Summerhill Road. She has been advised that the minimum working pressure in parts of the village is 1 bar, which is low. Additional monitoring equipment is now being installed around Dunboyne to track where the worst pressure problems are occurring.
Cllr O’Reilly reported that very vulnerable people have been directly affected and, because of the seriousness of the situation, pallets of bottled water have already been delivered to the nursing home on Summerhill Road, with further supplies to be provided if required.
Uisce Éireann has also confirmed that one of Dunboyne’s former pumping facilities at Kilbreena has been out of use since 2019 due to water quality issues. The utility has further confirmed that the main water pipe running through Dunboyne village is now operating at full capacity, meaning there is no spare capacity in the system.
Permanent works to fix this properly are planned under the M3 Parkway water upgrade project, however construction is not due to begin until Q2 2026. In the meantime, Uisce Éireann will be carrying out local improvement works over the coming weeks. These will include re-configuring parts of the network, adding new connections to improve water flow, and deploying leakage detection and repair crews across Dunboyne within the next two weeks to locate and fix leaks.
Dunboyne Cllr O’Reilly said: “I know how upsetting and disruptive it is to have little or no water in your home. This is a basic service and people should not be dealing with this. This is an issue I have been focused on for as long as I am an elected member, and I will continue to push for urgent improvements now and for the permanent solution to be delivered as quickly as possible. I urge people to continue to get in touch with me so that we can keep the focus firmly on Dunboyne.”
Residents who notice leaks in their area or on their own property are being asked to report them directly to Uisce Éireann, as this will help improve pressure across the network.
