Irish Water To Invest €300,000 In Roberts Cove
Councilor Aidan Lombard has welcomed the decision by Irish Water to invest €300,000 euro in the up-grade of the water infrastructure in Roberts Cove, hailing it as the largest capital project In Tracton Parish since Rural Electricification. The project will involve the replacement of 2,000 metres of aging and defective water main in Robert’s Cove. The existing watermain in Robert’s Cove was laid over 40 years ago and is in very poor condition. As a result, there has been an average of five bursts per annum, leading to significant disruption to local residents and businesses. It is also extremely difficult to locate leaks in the area as it is close to the sea and the ground is sandy. Monday February 20th, was the closing date for the receipt of tenders to carry out the work and it is expected that, following the selection of a contractor, construction work will get underway in the third quarter of the year. Cllr. Lombard believes that “it is critical that the project proceeds as quickly as possible as the residents of the area have had poor water quality for far too long”. Councilor Lombard thanked the engineering staff in Cork County Council and the Irish Water Staff for their hard work and determination to work to resolve this long running issue. Councilor Lombard also thanked the local residents who raised the issue with him following his election to the council in June 2016. The detailed information on the issues with the water quality and the dates the issues occurred, which the residents were able to provide was invaluable in making the case for the upgrade to Irish Water. Paul Cremin, Capital Programmes Regional Lead with Irish Water commented: “This is a very significant investment in Robert’s Cove where the mains water pipes are up to 40 years old. As a result, there have been regular disruptions to supply as a result of leaks and burst pipes. This work will ensure that Irish Water customers in the area can enjoy a more secure and reliable water supply into the future, while also reducing leakage of treated water. “The proposed new watermain will link up with a 1.2km section of watermain that was recently replaced to the west of the bridge in Robert’s Cove, completing the upgrade of the watermain network for this area.” Watermain rehabilitation is one aspect of Irish Water’s plan to reduce leakage. Irish Water is also supporting customers in reducing leaks on their property through the First Fix Free Scheme. To date, almost 2,500 repairs have been completed in Cork as a result of the scheme. See www.water.ie/water-supply/first-fix for details. Irish Water will also be replacing an additional 400 metres of watermain in Underwood, Rochestown.