Cork's dirty water: Call for voucher system for affected households

Some of those affected by the problem are spending up to €80 on bottled water in a month — more than they would have faced in water charges

The dirty water problem has been affecting thousands of households at various times and locations across Cork city since the commissioning of the new €40m water treatment plan on the River Lee in July 2022.

Sun, 05 May, 2024 - 07:25

Eoin English

The State must consider a water voucher system to help people who been hit financially by the ongoing discoloured water crisis in Cork city.

The call came after a survey found that some of those affected by the problem which first emerged almost two years ago are spending more on bottled water in a month than they would have faced in water charges.

Oireachtas members were briefed by senior Uisce Éireann officials on Friday on their latest efforts to address the problem which has been affecting thousands of households at various times and locations across the city since the commissioning of the new €40m water treatment plan on the Lee in July 2022.

Uisce Éireann told TDs that 10 of the city’s 56 individual water districts have been singled out for special attention as part of their ongoing efforts to resolve the problem.

The utility said it plans to continue with its targeted and intensive flushing of the network programme, which began last month, in a bid to blast sediment from inside the city's network of old pipes.

It is targeting areas where most complaints about dirty water have been received.

The pipes in Montenotte and Gurranabraher were flushed over the last two weeks, with Farranree next, TDs were told.

Significant resources have been diverted from Uisce Éireann projects elsewhere in the country to address it, they were told.

End of 2024 to complete flushing programme

But it could take until the end of the year before that flushing programme is fully completed, the utility said.

Solidarity TD Mick Barry said something must be done in the meantime to help those who've been hit financially by the problem.

"Communities have understandably lost confidence in the quality of the water supply," he said.

“There should be vouchers provided free of charge by the state that can be exchanged in the shops for bottled water.

“If Uisce Éireann genuinely believe that a programme of flushing will largely sort the problem by the end of the year it need only be a short-term initiative,” Mr Barry said.

“But one way or another something of its kind needs to be put in place until such time as the situation is resolved otherwise households will be paying a big financial penalty for a problem simply not of their making.”

Solidarity city councillor Brian McCarthy said the results of a survey he undertook in the Knocknaheeny and Gurranbraher areas of the city shows the scale of the ongoing dirty water crisis and the impact this is having on residents.

The survey showed that:

69% are buying bottled water — the average weekly spend is €18;
77% of respondents have brown water coming from their taps sometimes or often;
74% don't think their water is safe to drink;
61% of people are concerned about their or their family's health due to water issues;
56% are concerned about damage to appliances caused by dirty water;
55% concerned about financial burden of buying bottled water.

“These figures are shocking,” Mr McCarthy said.

“They show that the vast majority of households in Knocknaheeny and Gurranabraher have issues with brown water.

“People are worried about their health and that they don’t have access to clean, safe water without spending an average of almost €80 a month on bottled water.

“We know the situation is similar in a lot of other communities as well.

“The lack of urgency from Uisce Éireann, the government and the council is an absolute disgrace,” Mr McCarthy said.

“Clean, safe water is a human right and people on the northside are being denied that right.

“This is a windfall for the private companies profiting from the failure of Uisce Éireann and a callous neglect of the lives of working class communities.”