Uisce Éireann continues to prioritise water quality on the Northside of Cork City

Information below is relevant until further updates are provided here or on our Supply and Service Updates section.

We are coninuting to work to improve water quality for homes and businesses in Cork City with its targeted programme for intensive flushing works. These works are set to get underway in The Glen on the Northside of Cork City on Thursday, 8 August. 

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

Planned flushing will take place in Glen Avenue, Mangerton Close, Avoca Crescent, Comeragh Park, Brandon Crescent, Glen View Park, Mourne Avenue and Errigal Heights. 

Water Operations Lead for Uisce Éireann, Sean Lynch said: “This is the start of the next phase of our extensive flushing plan for the Northside of Cork City that will be undertaken over the coming weeks. Our goal is to minimise the instances of discolouration for the people of Cork City in targeted areas across Cork City, 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 approximately six weeks.”

The first round of flushing is set to commence at 8pm on Thursday, 8 August. As works progress through the area, signage will be put in place. Customers are also advised to check the supply and services webpage.

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 until 4am. 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.

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 our water quality page.