VIP-WECO Supports Time-Critical Repairs on Major Irish Watermain
VIP-WECO internal pipe seals have been used to repair 15 leaking joints on the Ballymore Eustace to Saggart trunk watermain in Ireland.
The work was carried out by DWG Infraco as part of the largest repair programme undertaken on the pipeline to date. It was a demanding project, with difficult access, confined working space and time restraints in which to complete the repairs and return the pipeline to service.
The 26km trunk main runs between Ballymore Eustace Water Treatment Plant and Saggart Reservoir. It carries around 220 million litres of treated drinking water every day and helps supply homes, businesses and essential services across Dublin, Kildare and parts of Wicklow.
Taking such an important pipeline out of service is never straightforward. The wider repair programme took months of planning 
and involved more than 300 people working around the clock. Everything had to be completed within a planned 27-hour repair window to keep disruption to water supplies as low as possible.
Fifteen Joints Repaired from Inside the Pipeline
DWG Infraco used VIP-WECO, seals to repair 15 leaking joints from inside the trunk main.
Some of the repair locations were up to 305 metres from the nearest entry point. This meant the installation teams had to move people, tools and materials a considerable distance through the pipeline before reaching the joints.
The internal repair method helped reduce the need for excavation directly above each location. This was particularly important on a 26km pipeline where carrying out separate excavations at every leaking joint would have added considerably more time, cost and disruption to the work.
At each repair point, the VIP-WECO rubber sleeve was positioned across the joint and mechanically secured against the internal pipe surface using stainless steel retaining bands. This created a watertight seal around the full circumference of the pipe.
The system does not rely on adhesives or bonding to the existing pipe. This makes it a practical option for repairing leaking joints and localised defects in large-diameter pipelines, particularly when external access is difficult or the available working time is limited.
Completed Within the Planned Repair Window
Uisce Éireann confirmed that the overall programme was completed successfully within the planned 27-hour window. Treated water was returned to the pipeline, with the majority of customers experiencing no disruption to their supply.
The work forms part of an ongoing programme to reduce leakage and strengthen this important water supply route. Repairs completed on the pipeline during 2024 and 2025 are already saving approximately 1.5 million litres of treated water each day.
For VIP-WECO, this project is a strong example of what the system was designed to do: provide a secure internal repair where access is challenging, excavation would be disruptive and every hour of the shutdown matters.
