Prioritisation of water quality in Ballyvolane with flushing programme rollout

Uisce Éireann continues to work to improve water quality for homes and businesses in the Northeast region of Ballyvolane with its flushing works programme which will start the week of 01 July. 

These targeted flushing works are part of Uisce Éireann’s network improvement plan to address water discolouration issues. 

Flushing will start at the junction of Old Youghal Road and Ballyvolane New Road. Residential estates of Meadow Park Lawn and River View Estate along with Ballyvolane Shopping Centre will also undergo flushing works. 

Water Operations Lead for Uisce Éireann, Sean Lynch said: “Our goal is to minimise the instances of discolouration for the people in the Northeast region of Ballyvolane, where reports of discolouration have been received. Areas are prioritised based on customer feedback and reports directly to our customer care team. It is anticipated that this programme of works will take seven weeks.”

The first round of flushing is set to commence from 8pm on Wednesday, 3 July to 4am on Thursday, 4 July.  As works progress through the area, signage will be put in place. Customers are also advised to check the supply and services page.

The programme involves isolating and flushing small sections of the water network to clear any build-up of sediment from the old cast iron pipes. Isolating the flushing area from the larger network in this manner minimises disruption and improves sediment removal. Clearing the pipes can result in sediment carrying through to customers’ taps resulting in increased instances of discoloured water in the short-term. 

To minimise disruption further, the works will be carried out at night-time during off peak usage hours, typically starting after 8pm. It is intended that the network will have time to return to normal before the morning demand starts, reducing the potential for discoloured water at customers’ taps.

Each area is broken down into zones for night-time works and as Uisce Éireann progresses flushing through these areas a review of the programme’s operational effectiveness will be undertaken before proceeding to the next zone.

Commenting Sean Lynch said: "Uisce Éireann thanks customers for their patience as we continue to work to reduce instances of discolouration across Cork City, and regrets any inconvenience caused.”

Uisce Éireann continues to advise not to drink discoloured water. In the event of discolouration, running the tap for several minutes - we recommend up to 20 minutes - will usually restore water to a clear colour. The water is safe to drink once running clear. If the issue remains unresolved, we encourage customers to contact us directly. The customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278. Customers reporting instances of discolouration help us to determine flushing locations on the network.

For more information and advice, please visit the water quality page.