Irish Water to invest €228m in upgrading water and wastewater infrastructure in Cork.
The wastewater network is to undergo a €180m upgrade, while a further €48m will be spent on improving drinking water quality and supply.
The Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage Scheme will provide a new wastewater treatment plant to serve Cobh, Carrigaline, Crosshaven, Passage West/Monkstown (including Glenbrook and Raffeen) and Ringaskiddy (including Shanbally and Coolmore).
Work is underway at the Shanbally site where the new facilitiy will begin treating wastewater in 2016, with the aim to be fully operational by 2018.
In addition, construction has begun on a new wastewater treatment plant at Youghal as part of a €22.9m investment in the Youghal Main Drainage Project, including an upgrade of the sewer network.
The facility will be completed in 2017.
A further €7m is being spent on an infrastructure project to upgrade the wastewater treatment plant at Clonakilty and carry out minor upgrades of 13 other wastewater treatment plants, ranging in size from larger plants at Bantry to smaller plants in Ardgroom and Kilmacsimon.
A wastewater treatment plant at Carrigtohill is also receiving a €12.3m upgrade to increase its capacity.
A €1.1m project to build a new wastewater treatment plant at Riverstick has been completed, while a further €3m was invested in upgrading the wastewater treatment plant in Ballincollig.
Further wastewater projects with an estimated total value of €50m are at planning and design stage for towns across Cork. Irish Water is also investing €15.8m into upgrading the water mains of Cork City, with the first phase of works to be complete by February 2017.
