These flushing works which are put forward by the Cork City discolouration taskforce will involve isolating small sections of the water network to clear any sediment from the old cast iron pipes to reduce instances of discolouration. These works can result in sediment carrying through to customers' taps resulting in increased instances of discoloured water in the short-term.
This new programme which expands on previous flushing in the area, is anticipated to take approximately two to three weeks. The first round of flushing works will begin at 8.00pm tonight (4 March). It is intended that the network will have time to return to normal before the morning demand starts, again reducing the potential for discoloured water at customers' taps.
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Areas potentially impacted with this round of flushing include Half Moon Lane, Westview, Kilcolman Lawn, Palaceanne Lawn, Palaceanne Court, Hawthorn Villas, Glen View, Woodlawn, Heatherton, Greenhills Estate, Cross Douglas Road, Douglas Road and surrounding areas. Other adjoining areas in Douglas may potentially be impacted.
Water Operations Lead for Uisce Éireann, Sean Lynch said:
"This is the start of an extensive flushing plan for the Douglas area that will be undertaken over the next few weeks. 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."
Uisce Éireann prioritises public health by consistently testing and analysing the water supply across the city's network. We ensure compliance with drinking water regulations and share regular updates with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Health Service Executive (HSE) to guarantee safe drinking water for all.
