Almost 5,000 residents in the Ballintubber, Kilmurray, Tarmon and Castlerea areas were left without water from Friday morning until Saturday night.

The utility is also advising that caution be taken when bathing children to ensure they do not swallow the water.

The EPA says half a million people are in "at-risk" areas with higher lead levels in their drinking water.

The new pipework will significantly reduce leakage levels and put an end to disruption to the water supply due to bursts.

The works have been described by Uisce Eireann as a critical step in conserving water and reducing leakage levels.

It's described as a landmark project.

Uisce Éireann says it also has a dedicated team providing support to local representatives.

He claims Irish Water has not been very co-operative when he queried various accounts which appeared to have been wrongly billed.