Parts of Cork city's northside to suffer water disruption next week

Parts of Cork city’s northside may suffer overnight water supply disruptions and discolouration early next week, as Uisce Éireann carries out a targeted programme of intensive flushing works.

Ever since the then Irish Water opened its €40m Lee Road water-treatment plant in summer 2022, areas of the city, predominantly on the northside, have been affected by intermittent problems with undrinkable brown water.

According to Uisce Éireann, the combination of an adjustment of chemicals used in water preparation at the plant and increased water pressure caused rusty sediment to be stripped from the inside of the city’s aging cast-iron water mains, resulting in ongoing issues with discoloured water in homes across the city.

As part of the water utility company’s efforts to address the issue of water quality, it is carrying out an ongoing programme of what it called a targeted programme of intensive flushing works.

Planned flushing will take place at Ard Patrick, Mount Farran and Farran Cleary Place on the northside of Cork City from Tuesday, 18 March, and the works are expected to take up to three nights to complete.

These works, which the company said would likely occur after 10pm and into the early hours of the following day, are likely to lead to water disruption, with possible instances of water discolouration.

A traffic management plan will be in place for the duration of the works, with signage erected in the area.

Uisce Éireann said it recommended that the public should allow two to three hours after the estimated restoration time for water supply to fully return.

Updates on these works can be accessed on the Uisce Éireann website, water.ie, by entering in the search bar the reference CCI00090439.

The company has reiterated its public health advice that water is safe to drink when it is running clear.

James Goulding, Uisce Éireann’s water operations lead, said the latest works were the final phase of the company’s planned flushing programme in the area.

“We are seeing positive benefits from undertaking this programme of flushing and we will continue to closely monitor any instances of discolouration as our crews work to tackle these incidents,” he said.