25 September 2020
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Improvements to drinking water infrastructure in North County Cork
Irish Water, working in partnership with Cork County Council, is replacing almost 3.3 kilometers of problematic water mains to tackle the high levels of water leakage in the Clonrobin and Kilbrin area and improve the reliability of water supply there.
These works will commence on Monday, 28 September and are part of Irish Water’s national Leakage Reduction Programme. The works will be carried out by Coffey Northumbrian Ltd. on behalf of Irish Water, and are expected to be completed by mid-December.
The works will take place along the Clonrobin and Drominagore roads. Old, damaged pipes will be replaced with modern, polyethylene (plastic) pipes.
The works will also involve laying new water service connections from the public water main in the road to customers’ property boundaries and connecting it to the customers’ water supply. Where existing service connections on the public side are lead, these will be replaced as part of this improvement work.
This work is being carried out as part of Irish Water’s Leakage Reduction Programme, which will see €500m invested nationally to tackle problematic pipes and leakage in Ireland’s ageing water network.
“Irish Water would like to thank the local community, businesses, homeowners and commuters for their patience and cooperation while we deliver this vital water network improvement project in the Clonrobin and Kilbrin area.” said Steven Blennerhassett, Leakage Reduction Programme Regional Lead, Irish Water.
“Replacing the old, damaged pipes will safeguard water supply in Clonrobin, Kilbrin and surrounding areas. The new water mains and service connections will reduce the instances of bursts and water outages.These improvements to the water network are essential in providing a safe, secure and reliable water supply, now and into the future.”
The works may involve some short-term water shut offs and the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours notice prior to any planned water shut offs. Where water mains are being constructed, traffic management, including temporary road closures, will be in place to ensure the works are carried out safely. Local and emergency traffic will be maintained at all times.
“We will continue to work with the community to minimise disruption,” added Steven Blennerhassett.
For more information, please visit National Leakage Reduction Programme https://www.water.ie/projects-plans/national-projects/leakage-reduction-programme/
