Irish Water, working in partnership with Cork County Council, is replacing 2800m of problematic watermains in Duinch, Banteer which they say will improve water quality for the community.
The project will commence in mid-July and form part of Irish Water’s National Leakage Reduction Programme. The works, being carried out by Ward and Burke Ltd on behalf of Irish Water, are expected to be completed by late September.
The section of works will take place along the Fr Murphy’s Bridge to Gortmore Road (L5252) from its junction with the R579 at Father Murphy’s Bridge, for approximately 2.8km westbound in the direction of the Mount Hillary Loop.
Outlining the benefits the mains replacement will bring, Steven Blennerhassett from Irish Water, explained: “These old pipes in Banteer were problematic and had a history of bursting. By replacing these old pipes with new modern ones, it will reduce the drinking water lost by leakage and will bring an all-round improvement to water quality for the local communities.
“A road closure will be required during this project, but we aim to minimise any impact on customers. There may be some short-term water outages and the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours notice beforehand.
“We understand that road works and water outages can be inconvenient, but our crews will make every effort to minimise disruption to local communities as we continue to improve the water supply in Cork and progress the National Leakage Reduction Programme.”
To complete the works in a safe and efficient manner, a road closure will be required on the Fr Murphy’s Bridge to Gortmore Road (L5252) from mid-July until late September. The road will remain closed from its junction with the R579 at Fr Murphy’s Bridge to its junction with the L5332, before the Mount Hillary Loop Carpark. The suggested diversion route for Westbound traffic is via R579 to Banteer Village and from the crossroads continue Eastbound, via L1121, to its junction with the L5332 road. Follow the road southbound to Mount Hillary.
Irish Water’s customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on Twitter @IWCare with any queries. For updates visit the Water Supply Updates section of the Irish Water website or set your location on their website www.water.ie.
Irish Water is working in partnership with Local Authorities to reduce leakage and provide a more reliable water supply. They say fixing leaks can be complicated but that they are making progress. In 2018 the rate of leakage nationally was 46%, by the end of 2021 it was 38%. They say they are on track to achieve a national leakage rate of 25% by the end of 2030.
Since 2018, Irish Water has invested over €500 million to upgrade the underground water network across the country through the delivery of the Leakage Reduction Programme. They are investing a further €250 million every year up to the end of 2030 - fixing leaks and replacing pipes to provide a more reliable water supply.
For more information on reducing leaks visit the National Leakage Reduction Programme page.
