News & Updates

Passage West, Glenbrook, Monkstown

Wastewater from Passage West, Glenbrook and Monkstown now no longer discharges untreated to Cork Harbour. The sewer network has been extended as part of the Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage Project to connect these area to the Shanbally Wastewater Treatment Plant.

For queries on the completed works at Passage West, Glenbrook and Monkstown, please email the project team at corklowerharbour@water.ie.

Cobh Networks Contract

Wastewater from Cobh Town now no longer discharges untreated to Cork Harbour.

In 2020, Uisce Éireann completed the Cobh to Monkstown Estuary Crossing. This landmark engineering feat involved drilling under the Lee Estuary, two of the longest horizontal directional drills ever carried out in Ireland. These drilled bores allowed the installation of sewer pipelines at a depth of 60m under the Lee Estuary – creating a vital connection between Cobh and Monkstown.

The final step of the Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage Project was completed in 2021 with the completion of the Cobh Networks Contract. Raw sewage from Cobh Town is now collected and transferred via the Estuary Crossing to Monsktown and then onwards to Shanbally Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment before its safe discharge to sea.

Uisce Éireann would like to thank the local community for their support. Their patience and cooperation with our contractor, Farrans Sorensen Joint Venture , in partnership with Employer’s Representative and Supervising Engineers Nicholas O’Dwyer Ltd. and our own Uisce Éireann project team, has greatly contributed to the safe and successful completion of these works.

For queries on the completed works at Cobh Town , please email the project team at corklowerharbour@water.ie.

View general information sheet on Cobh Town Networks

Cobh to Monkstown - Estuary Crossing Contract

In December 2020, Uisce Éireann completed the Cobh to Monkstown Estuary Crossing Contract. This Contract was part of the Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage Project, where Uisce Éireann is working, in partnership with Cork County Council, towards ending the decades-long practice of discharging raw sewage directly into Cork Lower Harbour.

This landmark engineering feat involved two of the longest horizontal directional drills ever carried out in Ireland under the Lee Estuary. These drilled bores allowed the installation of sewer pipelines 60m under the Lee Estuary – creating a vital connection between Cobh and Monkstown. This connection will allow the raw sewage from Cobh town to be transferred for treatment, once work on the Cobh Town Networks contract is complete in 2021.

In addition, O’Connor Utilities Limited, working on Uisce Éireann’s behalf, has won the inaugural Ervia Major Projects Contractor Safety Award for the safe delivery of this contract.

Uisce Éireann would like to particularly thank the local community for their support. Their patience and cooperation with our contractor, O’Connor Utilities, in partnership with Long O’Donnell, Nicholas O’Dwyer and our own Uisce Éireann project team, has greatly contributed to the safe and successful completion of these works.

Monkstown Park, the HDD drill reception site during construction, has been reinstated with a new surface and multi-use games area to the basketball court, additional drainage to the levelled and reseeded football pitch, and a new wildflower area and bug hotel.

The bug hotel has been constructed using sections of the pipe type that has been installed under the Estuary, to represent how these pipes are working underground where we cannot see them – bringing raw sewage for treatment, leading to better water quality in the sea at Monkstown and all the Cork Lower Harbour area - improving the environment we all live in.

View Cobh to Monkstown summary information sheet