Skibbereen water supply scheme to be upgraded
Irish Water, in partnership with Cork County Council, has announced that it is planning to upgrade the Skibbereen Regional Water Supply Scheme to ensure that it is capable of meeting the current and future demands of the area, while also providing customers with a safe, secure, and reliable supply of drinking water.
This will benefit home-owners living in Skibbereen, Schull, Leap, Bluid, Sherkin Island, Castledonovan, and Drimoleague.
The utility said the works proposed for the Skibbereen Regional Water Supply Scheme will include the upgrading and expansion of the existing treatment plants at Ballyhilty and Lake Cross, near Skibbereen.
The plans also include proving additional storage of drinking water at Schull, Leap, and Sherkin Island as well as the construction of trunk mains interconnecting Skibbereen to Schull and Drimoleague.
Irish Water’s Gerry O’Donnell said the major upgrades will “provide a more resilient and robust supply” to the area.
“A planning application and water abstraction order proposal are now being lodged to facilitate the upgrading and expansion of the Ballyhilty water treatment plant,” Mr O’Donnell said.
“The proposed works at the Ballyhilty plant provide for new raw water storage tanks, enhanced upgrade and expansion of the treatment facilities for treating drinking water and sludge treatment works.
“The current abstraction points on the River Ilen at Castledonovan and Ballyhilty will be consolidated to a single point upstream of Ballyhilty Bridge,” Mr O’Donnell added.
The West Cork project forms part of Irish Water’s investment plan where more than €530m will be invested in upgrading water services in 2016 to improve the country’s water and wastewater infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Deputy Jim Daly confirmed that within the next week tenders will go out to seek a contractor for the multi-million euro Clonakilty Flood Relief Scheme.
“It is hoped to commence the procurement process for a contractor in the next few days and to publish the project on e-tenders. At the same time, the scheme will be submitted to Minister Paschal Donohoe, for formal confirmation under the Arterial Drainage Acts,” he said.
Mr Daly said the residents and business people of Clonakilty can look forward to seeing the shovels in the ground next year.
“He said it forms part of a hattrick of flood defence schemes to protect West Cork, with similar schemes having started already in Bandon and Skibbereen.
