Over 1,100 water consumers in Ballyhooly are benefitting from improvements to their water supply, as Irish Water has recently completed upgrade works at their water treatment plant.

Irish Water and Cork County Council have completed works to improve the local water supply in Ballyhooly. The works will benefit 1,196 customers and ensure the delivery of a clean, safe drinking water supply for the area.
The water treatment process at the plant was inadequate due to insufficient protection against cryptosporidium. The upgrades have provided a more advanced water treatment process, improving the drinking water quality for the area. The upgrade work has allowed for removal of the water supply scheme from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Remedial Action List (RAL).

The RAL identifies drinking water supplies that are ‘at risk’ of failing to consistently supply safe, clean drinking water. The upgrade works included installation of a new UV disinfection system at the water treatment plant to address an inadequate barrier to cryptosporidium.

Paul Cremin, Regional Delivery Lead with Irish Water says:

We are delighted to have completed this work at Ballyhooly Water Supply Scheme, ensuring that the community there benefit from a safe and reliable source of drinking water.

As a single national utility Irish Water has been able to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the performance of Ireland’s drinking water treatment plants and focus investment where the risk to our customers is highest. Nationally Irish Water has adopted a prioritised programme of works, which will require significant investment. Major improvements are being achieved year on year by this approach right across the country.

Irish Water is committed to ensuring that all of its customers have safe, clean drinking water. It is working in partnership with Local Authorities to address the issues affecting the water supplies which remain on the RAL and to bring them to a standard where the EPA determines that they can be removed.

The RAL is updated quarterly by the EPA for those water supplies where investment in treatment processes is required. Irish Water has a prioritised programme of investment for all schemes on the RAL.

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