Thousands in north Dublin left without water after ‘complex’ burst

Hundreds of homes in north Dublin were left without water this weekend after a “complex” burst on a major pipeline.

Homes and businesses in Swords, Malahide, and Portmarnock were all affected by the water outage on Saturday – with the flow only expected to come back to most homes at 6pm this evening. The burst happened on a pipeline in Swords that also serves the Malahide reservoir.

Uisce Eireann engineers fixed the issue yesterday, with homes in Swords back online by 5pm, and those in Malahide and Portmarnock by 10pm. However, an airlock in the system this morning caused more disruption.

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An Uisce Eireann spokesman said that the network and reservoirs are “re-charging”, and that homes still affected should begin to see water come back by 6pm. But he added that it can take up to another two or three hours before supply is back to normal levels.

An Uisce Eireann statement said: “Yesterday, water services engineers worked throughout the day to repair a complex burst on a pipeline in Swords that also serves the Malahide reservoir. The repairs were completed yesterday evening and supplies began to return in Swords from approximately 5pm, with Portmarnock and Malahide returning after 10pm last night.

“This morning, following yesterday’s repair, an airlock caused further disruptions. Water service engineers resolved the issue as soon as it became apparent, and the network and reservoirs are currently re charging.

“The majority of homes should start to see supplies returning around 6pm as the water refills the network and reservoir levels rise. It can take a further two to three hours for normal supply to fully restore to all areas especially for those on higher ground or at the end of the network.

“We regret any inconvenience as a result of this issue and thank the local community for their patience. Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communications for planned and unplanned outages lasting more than four hours.

“The Uisce Éireann customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on X @IWCare with any queries. For updates please visit the Water Supply Updates section of the Uisce Éireann website.”

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