No longer 'at risk', but problems persist at Cork water treatment plant 

The Cork City treatment plant had been on the Environmental Protection Agency’s remedial action list since October 2008

The Lee Road water treatment plant provides drinking water to over 87,000 people in Cork City.

The water treatment plant which supplies drinking water to Cork City has been removed from a list of public water supplies considered “at risk” following an audit by the State environmental watchdog.

However, the audit by the Environmental Protection Agency revealed that tanks and reservoirs at the upgraded Lee Road water treatment plant are still not suitably protected against contamination.

In addition, the EPA audit found chemicals used to treat water at the plant were not appropriately stored or managed, while instrument calibrations had not been checked by their due date.

The Cork City treatment plant, which provides drinking water to over 87,000 people in Cork City, had been on the EPA’s remedial action list since October 2008 due to treatment and management issues.

However, it was removed from the remedial action list following the EPA audit in January.

'Safer and more secure'

It noted the upgraded facility, which sources water from the River Lee, had “greatly improved the level of water treatment being provided to provide a safer and more secure water supply”. 

However, the EPA said a section of the roof at a reservoir in Churchfield was damaged and the whole structure would need to be replaced.

Works to repair the roof have begun and are due to be completed by the end of March.

Irish Water said a continuous hydrocarbon monitor had been installed at the reservoir for the duration of the roof repair works, while a temporary ultraviolet unit had been in place since the end of August as an additional barrier to prevent supplies being infected with the parasite cryptosporidium.

The utility also confirmed it had addressed issues over the labelling of chemicals at the water treatment plant, which had been identified by the EPA audit, as well as the calibration of weighing scales used in chemical treatment of supplies.

The audit said monitoring had shown that the new plant had consistently provided safe drinking water supplies and adequate levels of disinfection.

However, the EPA said adequate training was required for staff from Irish Water and Cork City Council in advance of the operation of the plant being passed over by the Murphy Group in July, which has been overseeing the facility since the new water treatment plant came on stream last year.

There was a total of 58 public water supplies on the EPA’s remedial action list at the end of 2022, including plants supplying drinking water to the cities of Limerick and Kilkenny and towns including Wexford, Longford, Listowel, Co Kerry; Trim, Co Meath; and Nenagh in Co Tipperary.