Call for abolition of Uisce Éireann over ongoing discolouration of water in Cork

Continuation of problem, mostly affecting city's northside, now 'intolerable', councillors told

'The longevity of the issue is seriously affecting residents, who have demonstrated extraordinary patience but who cannot depend on the water that comes from their taps,' Green Party councillor Oliver Moran said.

Uisce Éireann is under fire again for ongoing discolouration of the drinking water supply to homes in Cork City.

Green Party councillor Oliver Moran has criticised a decision not to issue a boil water notice for a problem that has been ongoing for about 18 months, affecting residents mostly on the city’s northside.

“While no 'no drink' notice has ever been issued, this is somewhat disingenuous since the standing advice from Uisce Eireann is to not drink discoloured water and the issue is so pervasive and recurring,” he said.

“The longevity of the issue is seriously affecting residents, who have demonstrated extraordinary patience but who cannot depend on the water that comes from their taps.” 

His comments come ahead of the January meeting of Cork City Council on Monday where a motion has been tabled by Worker’s Party councillor Ted Tynan calling for the abolition of the utility over the issue.

“Only when these essential water treatment services are returned to democratic, public control can the residents of Cork City and beyond have faith in the quality and safety of our water supply,” Mr Tynan said.

The council’s environment strategic policy committee is also due to meet Uisce Éireann officials later this month about the issue.

The Irish Examiner revealed last month that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now has an “open investigation file” in relation to the problems affecting the city's water supply, which first emerged following the commissioning of the new multi-million water treatment plant on the Lee Road in July 2022.

Uisce Éireann blamed the discolouration on changes it made to the chemical treatment regime used to rebalance the pH of the drinking water produced at the plant, which saw the treated water react with and dislodge historic deposits which had built up in the near century-old cast iron mains network, turning the water brown. The issues were resolved after a few weeks.

But brown water began to flow again in recent months, prompting a spike in complaints, mostly from the northside.

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This time, Uisce Éireann blamed a change in the pumping regime to the three reservoirs on the northside, which dislodged deposits in the pipes again.

It spent weeks flushing the system in affected areas, and scrubbing the reservoirs clean, but the problems persisted over Christmas.

The utility insists the water being produced at the treatment plant is safe, but it has advised people not to drink discoloured water. However, Mr Moran said he wants an update from EPA on the matter.

“I am concerned that the nature of the problem, its longevity but without the issuing of a 'no drink' notice will cause the problem to be treated with less seriousness than if the circumstances were different," he said.

“However, its continuation is now intolerable from the perspective of the environmental regulation of the utility.

Separately, the utility confirmed on Friday a boil water notice issued on October 18 affecting some 9,000 customers on the Whitegate supply in East Cork remains in place.