A major leak detection programme uncovered the loss of around 850,000 litres of water each day near Taylor’s Hill.

Uisce Éireann, the rebranded Irish Water, compared the figure to the daily usage of the entire population of Ballinasloe and described it as “colossal”.

Gerry O’Donnell, Leakage Reduction Programme Manager, described the find on Rosary Lane as “one of the largest savings of our precious resource this year in the North-West Region.”

“It’s hard to understand that more than 850,000 litres of clean drinking water were disappearing underground every day. Water is a valuable resource and expensive to produce so finding this leak and successfully repairing it was of paramount importance.”

A spike in water usage in the Taylor’s Hill area was noticed by the City Council and Uisce Éireann. However, there was a challenge in identifying the exact location of the water loss on the underground public network as there was no water surfacing.

An assessment by the local authority’s leak detection crew followed. Step testing work coupled with specialised detection equipment allowed the team to pinpoint the location of the leak.

Kieran Garvey, Executive Engineer with Galway City Council, said: “For our leak detection team to have found this leak and the subsequent improvement to the network is a massive win.”

Gerry O’Donnell added: “The finding of this leak is testament to the expertise and knowledge within Galway City Council’s Find and Fix crews.”