Cork city manager seeks €21m for waterplant upgrade

THE Government should provide €21 million to upgrade Cork’s main water treatment plant, make it flood proof, and secure the city’s supply of drinking water, the city manager said last night.

An initial claim, estimated at some €10m, will be submitted to the Department of the Environment tomorrow to recoup costs it incurred while dealing with the aftermath of the flood crisis. The details emerged last night following a detailed review of the disaster, presented by city manager Joe Gavin, in which he made several recommendations.

The Lee Road water treatment plant was swamped in the early hours of November 20, the first time in its 150-year history, leaving 80,000 without water for a week.