Anglesea Street to Sullivans Quay Water Mains Replacement

Uisce Éireann in partnership with Cork City Council is replacing problematic water mains in the South Quays area of Cork City to provide a more reliable water supply, reduce high levels of leakage and enable growth and development.

The project involves the replacement of over 4.2km of aged cast iron water mains with new modern pipes.

The works are taking place between Anglesea Street and Sullivans Quay, including Union Quay, Copley Street, Cotters Street, Stable Lane, South Terrace, and Georges Quay.

These cast iron water mains date back to the 1930s and can be problematic for water discolouration.

The works 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.

The programme to replace the water mains in the Cork City South Quays area commenced in mid-March 2024. The works are being carried out on behalf of Uisce Éireann by Ward and Burke Construction Ltd and are expected to be completed by Q1 2025.

The extent of planned works is illustrated below.

Note: Works and associated traffic management will be carried out in phases.

The benefits of these leakage reduction works include:

• Reliable Water Supply - Replacement of problematic water mains and service connections will reduce the instances of bursts and interruptions to the water supply reducing disruption for homes and businesses in the area.
• Reduced Leaks - Replacement of problematic water mains and service connections will eliminate existing leaks and reduce the amount of clean drinking water lost into the ground.
• Improved Operation and Maintenance - These works will deliver efficiencies including cost savings by providing improved water network operation that will require less maintenance in the future.
• Improving the water network to facilitate future demand - This project will ensure the required capacity of the water network to support future development in the area.

Areas of work will be limited to short sections to minimise impact on customers. During this time, traffic management will be implemented on a phased basis to minimise disruption. Some road closures will be required  Residents and businesses will be engaged with directly in advance of traffic management moving through each phase. Local and emergency traffic will always be maintained.

The works may involve some short-term interruptions to the water supply. The project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours-notice prior to any planned interruption.

Following any significant activity on the water network, we usually see increased reports of sediment becoming dislodged from the old cast iron pipes, resulting in discoloured water at customers' taps. If your tap water is discoloured, running the tap for up to 20 minutes will usually restore water to a clear colour. Water is safe to drink once the water is running clear. Uisce Éireann continues to advise customers not to drink discoloured water.

Working hours are 7am to 7pm. Where nightworks are required, working hours will be 7pm to 6am. Day and night works will not be carried out simultaneously.

We understand that this type of work can be inconvenient. Works crews will make every effort to minimise any disruption these necessary works cause.

Areas of work will be limited to short sections to minimise impact on customers. During this time, traffic management will be implemented on a phased basis to minimise disruption. Some road closures will be required.  Residents and businesses will be engaged with directly in advance of traffic management moving through each phase. Local and emergency traffic will always be maintained.

The works may involve some short-term interruptions to the water supply. The project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours-notice prior to any planned interruption.

Works completed to date:

• Watermain installation works along Union Quay, Angelsea Street, Cotters Street, Stable Lane, South Terrrace, Copley Street, Georges Quay and Sullivans Quay are completed.

A full road closure at Parliament Bridge is required to install new water management equipment. The road closure granted by Cork City Council in conjunction with An Garda Síochana will be in place 24 hours from 7pm Tuesday, 29 October until 4pm Friday, 1 November 2024. Traffic flows will be diverted during this time with local access and emergency services access only

Ward and Burke Construction Ltd. continues to liaise with Cork City Council with respect to planned traffic management. 

More information

Residents and businesses in the areas to benefit from the planned improvements have been notified directly.

Details of any supply interruptions associated to this project will be updated regularly on the Water Supply Updates section of the Uisce Éireann website.

Customers can phone the project team on (021) 2296121 or Uisce Éireann on 1800 278 278 if they have any questions about the project.