16 March 2017
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Irish Water is to invest €4.3 million to improve the water supply infrastructure on Cape Clear, which will result in a much more reliable and sustainable water supply for residents and visitors to the island, especially during the busy summer tourist season.
The Cape Clear Watermain Rehabilitation Project, in partnership with Cork County Council, will involve the replacement of 11.5km of watermains, much of which is in poor condition and subject to frequent leaks and bursts.
As a result of this investment, over 11 million litres of water that is currently lost to leakage will be saved, leading to significant improvements in the water supply for local householders and businesses.
The contract to carry out this work was signed this Thursday, March 16, with ShareRidge Ltd. Construction will get underway next month and Irish Water expects these works to last for approximately 18 months. In addition to the replacement of the watermains, the project will also include the installation and commissioning of 208 new service connections.
Mark O’Duffy, Irish Water’s Regional Lead, commented: “We are very pleased to confirm that the contract to carry out this €4.3 million project has been signed this week. This project will ensure the long-term sustainable provision of drinking water for residents and visitors to the island, especially during the busy summer tourist season. It will also lead to the saving of millions of litres of water that is currently lost to leakage.
“This project will have very significant long-term benefits for the island but we are very conscious of keeping any disruption to a minimum while the work is being carried out. The project team will be working closely with the local community to inform them of when and where works will be taking place and any disruption to water supplies or road access will be notified in advance.
“We would like to thank the residents of Cape Clear in advance for their assistance and support in this regard.”
The work will be carried out in short sections to minimise impact on residents, businesses and road users. It is likely that it will involve some short-term water shut offs for a number of hours in each area when the pipes are being connected to the system. The project team will ensure that householders and businesses are advised of any works in their area in advance and will be given a minimum of 48 hours prior notice of any planned water shut offs.
Traffic management measures will be in place for the duration of the work but local access will be maintained at all times.
The project team will notify the local community in advance of planned works in their areas and provide contact details should they have any queries. The team will work closely with businesses to minimise any potential disruption, with a particular emphasis on minimising disruption during the busy summer tourist season.
In addition to this watermain replacement project, Irish Water is also continuing to progress plans as part of the separate Cape Clear Water Supply Scheme Project. This project will ultimately provide a new drinking water source on the island and will include the construction of a new water treatment plant.