Works to replace problematic water mains on Lower John Street, Cork City

Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Cork City Council, is replacing 270m of problematic watermains on Lower John Street, Cork City which will improve water quality for the community. 

The project is due to commence on week beginning 23 May and form part of Uisce Éireann's National Leakage Reduction Programme. The works, being carried out by Ward and Burke Ltd on behalf of Uisce Éireann, are expected to be completed by the end of July.  

To complete these works in a safe and efficient manner, a road closure is required on Lower John Street for the duration of the works. The suggested diversion route for Northbound traffic is take Mulgrave Road at Camden Quay and continue Northbound, via John Redmond Street, along Upper John Street.

Outlining the benefits the mains replacement will bring, Steven Blennerhassett from Uisce Éireann, explained: "Replacing these old and problematic pipes on Lower John Street will reduce the drinking water lost by leakage and will bring an all-round improvement to water quality for the local community. 

"Lower John Street will be closed for the for the duration of this project, but we aim to minimise any impact on customers. Our crews are engaging on the ground to facilitate deliveries and ensuring that businesses are kept open as usual, but parking will not be available whilst we deliver this important upgrade to the local water network. The works are being delivered ahead of exciting new public realm upgrade works in the area which is positive news for the wider city community. 

"There may be some short-term water outages and the project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours' notice beforehand. We understand that road works and water outages can be inconvenient, but our crews will make every effort to minimise disruption to local communities as we continue to improve the water supply in Cork City and progress the National Leakage Reduction Programme."

Uisce Éireann's customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on Twitter @IWCare with any queries. For updates please visit our Supply and Service Updates section or set your location on our website.

This project is one example of how Uisce Éireann is working in partnership with Local Authorities to reduce leakage and provide a more reliable water supply.  Fixing leaks can be complicated but we are making progress. In 2018 the rate of leakage nationally was 46%, by the end of 2021 it was 38%. We are on track to achieve a national leakage rate of 25% by the end of 2030.

Since 2018, Uisce Éireann has invested over €500 million to upgrade the underground water network across the country through the delivery of the Leakage Reduction Programme. We are investing a further €250 million every year up to the end of 2030 - fixing leaks and replacing pipes to provide a more reliable water supply.

For more information on reducing leaks, visit our National Leakage Reduction Programme page.