Works are likely to cause water supply disruptions and traffic issues in Cork city early week, on the northside and on the southside, Uisce Éireann has warned.

The water utility company, which changed its name from Irish Water at the start of the year, said the latest disruptions will begin on Monday and Tuesday.

The company said that mains flushing, which is scheduled to begin from midday on Monday 3 April and run until 5pm on Friday 14 April, may cause supply disruptions and discolouration to Browningstown Park, Beechwood Park, Shrewsbury, Ballinlough Road, Ballinlough and surrounding areas.

Ballinlough and surrounding areas are among those which have been affected by discoloured water since Uisce Éireann opened its new water treatment plant on the Lee Road last July.

As reported in The Echo last month, on Monday 22 August 2022, an Irish Water official emailed the Environmental Protection Agency to inform it of an increase in complaints of discoloured water in Cork city, following chemical changes made by Irish Water to its water treatment process, changes which caused the stripping of rust from the insides of the city’s century-old water mains.

The mail contained the tacit acknowledgement that the discolouration had been caused by Irish Water itself, saying: “There is the potential that process changes, particularly the change in the pH corrective chemical in use, i.e. from Lime to Caustic, may be contributing to the problem and causing the water to become more corrosive”.

Updates regarding this work will be available on the Uisce Éireann website www.water.ie with the public asked to enter into the site’s search bar the reference number: CCI00060966.

In Sunday’s Well, another area badly affected by discoloured water since the opening of the Lee Road water treatment plant last year, Uisce Éireann is warning that mains repairs, part of the company’s National Leakage Reduction Programme, may cause supply disruptions on Monday to Buxton Hill, Upper Janemount, Lower Janemount and surrounding areas.

These works are scheduled to take place from 11am until 3pm on Monday 3 April, and a traffic management system will be in place for the duration of the works.

Updates on these works may be accessed on the Uisce Éireann website using the reference CCI00061048.

On Tuesday 4 April, from 10am to 2pm, the water utility company warns, mains repair works may cause supply disruptions to Friars Walk and surrounding areas, with a traffic management plan in place for the duration of the works.

Updates on these works may be accessed on the Uisce Éireann website using the reference CCI00061052.