Tuesday 11 February 2025
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Email : johnpaul.oshea@oireachtas.ie

Water production restored at Freemount – normal supply expected to return to all areas over the weekend

Water production restored at Freemount – normal supply expected to return to all areas over the weekend

Emergency works have been completed to restore water treatment at Freemount in north Cork following a fire at the facility last Sunday. It is expected that normal supply will return to customers over the course of the weekend. 

Water produced at the plant was safely introduced into the network yesterday evening (Thursday) at 8pm. The extensive network of 150km of pipelines started to fill overnight and this will continue over the weekend until all lines are re-pressurised and service to all connections is resumed.

Neil Smyth, Irish Water’s Operations Lead for Cork, said: “Irish Water and Cork County Council will continue to transport water to the scheme to accelerate the restoration of normal supply. Also, works on the network will continue to relieve air locks, flush mains and repair bursts which may occur due to the changes in pressure on the water system. Some interruptions to supply are to be expected while these challenges are addressed.

“We wish to again thank the community of North West Cork for their patience and understanding while all efforts were made this week to restore normal water supply. We acknowledge that some connections remain without water going into the weekend and would like to assure customers that the extensive efforts will continue until service is back for everyone.”

The Allow Water Treatment Plant in Freemount Village

Temporary water stations will remain at the established locations until the scheme is restored. Please note that, as a precautionary measure, water taken from these stations should be boiled before use. The temporary water stations are available at the following locations:

  • Freemount Community Centre
  • Kerry Agribusiness, Freemount
  • Saint Peter and Paul’s Church, Domina
  • Milford National School, Kilbolane, Milford
  • Liscarroll National School
  • Saint Brigid’s Cemetery (R522 – Buttevant to Liscarroll Road)

Householders and businesses should ensure all taps are turned off while the system is filling in order to conserve water and to avoid any damage to property. Discolouration is expected due to the emptying of mains and air entering the system. For advice on clearing internal airlocks, go to https://www.water.ie/water-supply/supply-issues/airlocks/

Irish Water is committed to safeguarding our water supplies. For updates or to report any issues please go to the Service and Supply section of the Irish Water websitewww.water.ie . The Irish Water customer care helpline is open 24/7 and customers can call us on 1850 278 278 and contact us on Twitter @IWCare.