East Cork residents face years more of drinking water quality issues

Pending a planning decision, Irish Water said it hopes to start construction in early 2024 with a completion date in late 2025. 

Residents in East Cork who have been forced to buy bottled water for over a year face another three years of water quality issues despite efforts to fast-track a solution.

The timeline emerged today following confirmation from Irish Water that it has lodged a planning application with Cork County Council for a new water-treatment facility in Whitegate.

The proposed works will include decommissioning of the old water-treatment plant and the building of a new one to serve a population of some 10,000 people. It will have a new coagulation, flocculation, and clarification system, filtration system, and disinfection system.

Pending a planning decision, Irish Water said it hopes to start construction in early 2024 with a completion date in late 2025.

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Whitegate Residents Association chairman Shane Russell welcomed the move but said it is not happening fast enough. 

“We had a boil-water notice in this area from Christmas 2021 to June 2022,” he said.

“Another one was introduced in October 2022 and that one is still in place.

People who were buying bottled water since that Christmas just continued buying it.

“While there finally seems to be an end line in sight, it’s the timelines we are concerned about and the plans Irish Water has for us in the interim.

“And their communications also needs to be improved,” said Mr Russell. 

“This is the company that was very quick to issue bills when they had to. Not everyone accesses social media for their updates.”

In a statement, Irish Water said it made a section 5 application to the council to exempt the water-treatment plant upgrades from planning as emergency works, but the local authority said a full planning application was required.

Chairman of a local residents group said that while they are glad there's an 'end line in sight', the timeline is now a concern. Picture: Larry Cummins

The utility said a project of this scale would traditionally have a turnaround time of seven years or more from concept design through to completion, but it lodged the planning application in December and is working quickly to have it completed in a shorter timeframe.

Mr Russell said the timeline needs to be expedited even further given the frequency and duration of the boil-water notices.

Irish Water insisted that the multimillion-euro investment will put an end to the frequent boil-water notices caused by the various complex issues with the water supply in the area over many years.

Its infrastructure delivery programme manager, Ian O’Neill, said to have a land agreement and planning submitted in such a short timeframe is an indication of how much of a priority this project is for them.

“We wish to again thank everyone in Whitegate for their patience and cooperation,” he said.

“This has been a very frustrating time for the community as we have had to put boil-water notices in place to protect the health of the community.”