'Mothers can't wash their children': Uisce Éireann to face grilling over Cork water issues

The need to develop a new sewerage treatment system in Mitchelstown is one priority that will be tabled for discussion with the national water utility

Concerns were also raised by councillors who said no progress had been made on sewerage treatment upgrades at Castlemagner near Mallow, Cork.

Officials from Uisce Éireann are to face a grilling from members of Cork County Council over long-standing issues with the water supply in the region.

A long-awaited meeting with officials from senior Uisce Éireann staff will take place on October 18, with councillors to raise critical projects identified in the Cork County Development Plan.

Several housing projects have been refused planning permission due to capacity issues at wastewater treatment plants in the region in recent years, while householders in some areas say the quality of their water is so bad they can't drink it.

Council deputy chief executive Kevin Morey informed a meeting of the council’s northern division that Uisce Éireann had agreed to a meeting in County Hall where councillors would get a chance to bring up issues. In the meantime, the council will draw up priority lists for discussion.

Mr Morey agreed one priority in North Cork is the need to develop a new sewerage treatment system in Mitchelstown, as no further houses can be built there without it.

Independent councillor Patrick O’Donoghue said the utility had upgraded the existing plant there, but it is now at full capacity again and houses badly needed in the area can’t be built as a result.

Fine Gael councillor Noel McCarthy said building a new treatment plant there had been on the agenda for the past five years, but the council still has no update on these plans.

Mr Morey, who was formerly county engineer, said the development of a new plant is a priority for the council in its development plan and, as Uisce Éireann is currently finalising its capital investment plans for 2025 to 2029, it is vitally important the local authority again highlights the issue.

Concerns were also raised by councillors who said no progress had been made on sewerage treatment upgrades at Castlemagner near Mallow, while the predicament of those living in the Ballyhooly area was also put on the table.

The village is increasingly being dogged by increasing water outages and poor pressure with the situation is deteriorating on an almost daily basis.

Discoloured water and increasing outages are among the issues being faced by people across the county of Cork.

Independent councillor William O’Leary said the supply is so bad that “some people struggle to fill a kettle" and, in the past two months, it has become a chronic situation.

Councillor Nelius Cotter said “mothers can’t wash their children” and “washing machines and dishwashers are breaking down” as a result of the trickle of water coming through pipes.

Mr McCarthy said he knew of people who tried to take showers at 3am when they thought the flow might be better, but it was almost impossible.

Fianna Fáil councillor Frank O’Flynn said the solution could only come with the fitting of a larger pipe from the local reservoir into the village and its environs.

Mr Cotter said the original pipe from the reservoir was laid down 56 years ago. 

“Ballyhooly is a much larger village now with more businesses and more houses, so the demand has obviously increased quite significantly,” he added.

Meanwhile, the community council in Ballyhooly is so concerned about the situation it is holding a public meeting in the local community hall on Friday, September 27, at 7pm.