Bridge Street Water Mains Replacement

Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Cork City Council, is continuing to replace problematic cast iron water mains in Cork City to improve security of supply and reduce leakage.

Uisce Éireann is investing €500 million over the next four years to reduce leakage and remove old pipes from the public water network.
 

What is involved in this project?

The water mains replacement works involve the decommissioning and replacement of approximately 360 metres of problematic aging cast iron water mains. The works will also involve laying new water service connections from the public water main in the road to customers’ property boundaries and connecting it to the customers’ water supply. Where the existing service connections on the public side are lead these will be replaced as part of this improvement work. These critical upgrades are being carried out prior to the next phase of urban renewal works under the Cork City Centre Movement Strategy. The locations to benefit from these mains improvement works in Cork City are: 

 

Bridge Street

Woods Place

Little William Street

St. Patrick's Hill

 

The existing pipes will be replaced with new modern polyethylene (plastic) pipes. The works are scheduled to be undertaken as follows:

• Bridge Street (21 September to 6 November 2020)
• Woods Place and Little William Street (estimated start 9 November to 11 December 2020)
• St. Patricks Hill (2 November to 13 November)

These works will be carried out by Coffey Northumbrian Ltd. in partnership with Cork City Council on behalf of Uisce Éireann. 

What are the benefits of the works?

The benefits of these water mains replacement works in Cork City include:

• A reliable water supply – replacing the ageing water mains and service connections will reduce the instances of bursts and water outages and will ensure a reliable supply of water to customers and local businesses in the area.
• Reduced leaks – replacing the old water mains and service connections will eliminate existing leaks and reduce the amount of clean drinking water lost into the ground.
• Improved water quality – removing existing old cast iron from the public water network and replacing them with new plastic pipes will reduce the risk of contamination.
• Improved operation and maintenance – these works will deliver cost savings by providing improved water network operation that will require less maintenance in the future.

Will customers be affected by these works?

Areas of work will be limited to short sections to minimise impact on customers. Traffic management may be in place during this time. There may be local diversions in place during the works. Local and emergency traffic will be maintained at all times.

Works on St. Patricks Hill require a road closure for a period of two weeks. Pedestrian and residential access will be maintained but parking will be removed for the duration of the works.

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.

Residents and businesses in the areas to benefit from the planned improvements have been notified directly and customers can phone Uisce Éireann on 1800 278 278 if they have any questions about the project.

Uisce Éireann regrets any inconvenience these necessary water network improvements may cause. Details of any supply interruptions associated to this project will be updated regularly on the Water Supply Updates section of the Uisce Éireann website.

More information

For further information you can contact the Project Team at team@water.ie.