Work to repair burst water main begins

People queue to collect water as Irish Water work to restore supply

Work is under way to repair a burst water main in the Republic of Ireland which has left 50,000 customers without water for six days.

The pipe, which supplies Staleen Water Treatment Plant in County Louth, burst on Friday.

Irish Water said parts to repair the main arrived on site on Wednesday.

Speaking to RTÉ, Sean Laffey of Irish Water said this was a "temporary patch" but that a permanent fix would be completed in two weeks.

Water is currently running through the pipe, but testing will continue for the rest of the day.

On Tuesday, Irish Water said it could be the weekend before supply returned to normal.

Replacement

Irish Water also said it is prioritising the replacement of the 2.2km water main which serves the plant.

"It's clear from the significant level of disruption and hardship endured by so many customers as a result of the burst on this high pressure main that its replacement must be a priority for Irish Water," a statement said.

"A detailed programme for complete replacement will take a number of weeks to finalise.

"However, a preliminary view suggests a timeframe of 18 months and a budget of 2-3m euros will be needed to complete the work."

Water rationing remains in place and there are 86 stationary water containers in place across counties Louth and Meath.