Water crisis hits Kildare Street with leaky pipe

THE water crisis hit Dublin’s Kildare Street in the form of a leaking pipe.

TDs arriving at Leinster House yesterday were met with a flow of water down the street just as the nationwide hosepipe ban kicked in.

While the leak is said to be small, it will be a big job to fix.

Contractors from Irish Water have assessed the damage, which is underground, and reported that it will be a “complex” repair. It will involve redirecting a gas pipe.

Workers are expected to begin excavation work today and hope to be finished before normal business resumes on Monday.

Kildare Street is a significant route through the city for Dublin Bus and tour buses.

They will have to take an alternative route over the weekend while the repair is being carried out.

“Irish Water is working as quickly as possible to repair it but it is not a simple water pipe fix,” said a spokesman at the Department of Housing.

It is expected that a fix will be in place by tomorrow evening.

Yesterday, Kildare Street came to a standstill when the popular Viking Splash Tour bus broke down in front of the Shelbourne Hotel.

In a separate incident, firefighters were called to the street yesterday to put out a fire that had broken out in a building on the street.