16 September 2020
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Irish Water, working in partnership with Cork County Council, is replacing over 2.7kms of problematic water mains to improve security of supply, reduce high levels of leakage and improve water quality in the Ballinhassig and Fivemilebridge areas.
A Clean reliable water drinking water connection is vital
These works will commence on Monday, 21 September and are part of Irish Water’s national Leakage Reduction Programme. The works will be carried out by Ward & Burke Construction Ltd., on behalf of Irish Water, and are expected to be complete by the end of November 2020.
The works will take place on the R613 from Ballinhassig Village to the Junction of Fivemilebridge and the R600, Blackhill.
In order to complete the work safely and efficiently, a stop-go system will be in place for the 2.1km section of road west of Ballinhassig toward Fivemilebridge on the R613.
During mid-term break, a full road closure will be in place for the 600m section west of Fivemilebridge, along the R613 Ballinhassig Road.
On completion of the 600m section west of Fivemilebridge, works will return to the remainder of the 2.1km to the east of Ballinhassig until the estimated completion date of the end of November.
In addition and in order to provide a more robust and resilient supply of water to Belgooly Village, the final connection of a new water supply to Belgooly will be carried out immediately after completion of the works in Ballinhassig. The trunk main works about to commence in Ballinhassig will secure water supply to the entire network in this area once complete. The reservoir and booster pump in Riverstick are already complete, as is the 5.5km trunkmain between Riverstick and Belgooly. Once the trunk main in Ballinhassig is complete, Belgooly Water Supply Scheme can then be fully commissioned.
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 has received much communication from the people of Ballinhassig and Fivemilebridge and their representatives and is delighted to announce this investment in water infrastructure for the area. This project will deliver a much more secure and resilient water supply for the area and facilitate social and economic development of the area for many years to come. We 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.” said Steven Blennerhassett, Leakage Reduction Programme Regional Lead, Irish Water.
“Replacing the old trunk main will safeguard water supply in the area and reduce the instances of bursts and water outages that the community have been experiencing in recent years. These improvements to the water network are essential in providing a safe, secure and reliable water supply, now and into the future. We have collaborated with Cork County Council to ensure that the road closure will take place during the schools’ mid term break to minimise disruption on these busy communter roads. Works will also continue at weekends for the duration of the road closure during mid term break.”
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 road closures, will be required. Local and emergency traffic will be maintained at all times.
“We will work with the community to minimise disruption.
Customers can phone Irish Water on Callsave 1850 278 278 if they have any further questions about the project.
