Uisce Éireann is to carry out flushing works in the Douglas area tomorrow in an effort to improve water quality
The works, which will run over two days, are to address increased reports of discolouration in the area
The flushing clears any sediment from the old cast iron pipes and this can result in discoloured water in the short-term.
Affected customers are advised to run their taps for up to 20 minutes and when the water runs clear it is safe to drink
Areas potentially impacted with this round of flushing include Half Moon Lane, Westview, Kilcolman Lawn, Palaceanne Lawn, Palaceanne Court, Hawthorn Villas, Glen View, Woodlawn and surrounding areas.
Water Operations Lead for Uisce Éireann, Sean Lynch said: “Our goal is to minimise the instances of discolouration for the people of Cork City. Discolouration has existed in Cork City for some time and has been a feature of the Cork City network at low levels long before the establishment of Irish Water (now Uisce Éireann). We acknowledge that the frequency of discolouration reports has increased over the past 18 months, and this is not meeting the standard that customers expect. This can be attributed to a number of factors including the continued upgrading and investment in plants and pipework across the city and most recently an increase in leaks caused by bursts due to freezing weather. Given that approximately 50% of the water network in the city is old cast iron mains, it will take an investment of approximately half a billion euro over several investment cycles to replace the city’s network.”
In the short term, Uisce Éireann continues with works to proactively and reactively flush the network in targeted areas across Cork City where reports of discolouration have been received. Areas are prioritised based on customer feedback and reports received by our customer care team.
Uisce Éireann customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278.
