“What we’re talking about here, in simple , is the ability of your Government to ensure the very basics: water, electricity connections, houses."

Reporter Amy Campbell looks in to the cause of a wastewater overflow incident at the Atlantic Pond pumping station in January, and what work is being undertaken to prevent it happening again

On Wednesday, Mr Justice David Nolan adjourned the injunction application relating to protests outside Ryevale House in Leixlip with liberty to re-enter.

The ban will prohibit the use of garden hosepipes for non-essential purposes

The number of pesticide exceedances in public drinking water supplies in Ireland has decreased by more than 50% since 2017.

Irish Water said every single one of the incidents had been investigated but there was no verified illness related to any of the queries received.

An Uisce Éireann spokesperson confirmed to The Echo that the upgrade is due to commence shortly.

Councillors had been calling for the body to come before the council, and a meeting was eventually held in committee — meaning it was not open to the public or media.

Uisce Éireann has warned that part of Cork city’s southside is facing possible overnight water disruption on Wednesday night

According to a notice issued on Thursday afternoon by Cork City Council to the Lord Mayor and councillors, and seen by The Echo, Uisce Éireann has “committed to answering questions in the meeting, [but] they have requested that a list of issues for discussion be provided in advance to enable them to prepare properly”.

The Central Bank predicted that the Government will miss its housing targets for the next three years.

One test found levels of manganese 142% above the Drinking Water Regulations 

'I have not heard of one case where a person has been offered or even made aware of this compensation.'

Uisce Éireann has been criticised by councillors after confirming it will not be attending a special meeting on water issues. 

In a response to a query from The Echo, Uisce Éireann confirmed five of 33 samples were above the 50ug/l drinking water regulations parametric value for manganese.

Speaking at the rally Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould outlined how water in Cork is 'dirty and unsafe', with high levels of manganese.

From phone pouches to bike sheds and bank bailouts to water charges, test your knowledge of government spending controversies by taking our quiz.

Following a query from The Echo, Uisce Éireann, has disclosed that in 2023 it received 41 reports of illness suspected to have been caused by dirty water, and in 2024 it received 59 such reports. The 2023 figures mark a 41% increase on 2022, and the 2024 figures show a 44% increase on 2023.

The chairperson of Ballyhooly community council, John Howard, said: “To say this has been going on for years would be an understatement, I moved to the village 10 years ago — but it was an issue prior to that.”

Officials from the company said discolouration would likely always be an issue until the city’s entire cast iron water main network is replaced, at a likely cost of hundreds of millions of euro over at least five decades.

Discoloured water has been an ongoing and widespread problem in Cork city since the then Irish Water opened its refurbished €40m Lee Road water treatment plant in July, 2022

Power outages at treatment plants and pumping stations continue to impact on supplies across the county.

Uisce Éireann has warned that areas in East Cork may face water supply disruption on Thursday

Uisce Éireann has warned that some areas in the town are facing water supply disruption on Tuesday afternoon

The water utility company said that two separate rounds of works are scheduled to be carried on on Monday morning and lunchtime and on Tuesday afternoon.

Uisce Éireann said it is continuing to liaise and consult with the HSE, with a view to lifting the boil water notice for the Macroom area as soon as practicable.

Uisce Éireann, previously known as Irish Water, is working to restore water to customers in parts of Mallow ahead of New Year's Eve night

The northside TD said there were clearly “huge issues” with Uisce Éireann’s Lee Road water treatment plant, which opened in July 2022, adding that many homes on Cork’s northside were left without a reliable water supply for Christmas.

On December 25, Christmas Day, Uisce Éireann announced that it was undertaking repairs to a burst water main which “may cause supply disruptions” to Glanmire and surrounding areas in Cork.

A housing estate in the village of Shannonvale experienced three water outages over the course of Christmas week. 

An Uisce Éireann spokesperson said they “understand the frustration of affected customers and communities in Cork experiencing instances of discolouration".

The current boil water notice in place at Whitegate was issued on October 18 of last year, and has yet to be lifted, and it came after an earlier boil notice which was issued for Whitegate on October 29, 2022, and was lifted on July 10, 2023.

Deirdre O’Brien of Fianna Fáil told her fellow councillors that the pressure was so low in the Ballyhooly water supply that it took two minutes and 12 seconds to fill a small bottle of water

Planned flushing will take place in Dublin Hill, Meelick Park, Mervue Crescent, Glenthorn, Old White Church road and areas off the Ballyvolane Road.

50 water supply zones across Ireland remain on the list, eight of which are in Cork.

In a statement, Uisce Éireann, the utility, said it had consulted with the HSE, who did not recommend any restrictions on the water supply, but requested further testing.

Uisce Éireann said that, following consultations with the HSE, it had issued the notice, which affects approximately 4,194 people

The current estimated restoration time is 5pm today. 

Mick Barry TD said some households are spending up to €1,000 a year on bottled water because they will not drink the water from the taps.

The works, being carried out by Uisce Éireann in partnership with Cork City Council, will take place along Sidney Park, Sidney Hill, Wellesley Terrace and Waterloo Place.

The letter seeking a meeting with Niall Gleeson in early July was sent following a motion proposed by Fine Gael councillor Shane O’Callaghan.

Mr Harris was responding in the Dáil on Wednesday to Cork North Central People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Mick Barry who had raised the issue of discoloured water in Cork.

The company said that progress is being made is being made in a range of areas, and 'accelerated network improvements' are  underway.  

The project will also involve laying new water service connections from the public water main in the road to customers’ property boundaries and connecting it to the customers’ water supply.

Uisce Éireann has warned that parts of Cork city’s northside are facing water supply disruption on Wednesday

Uisce Éireann has warned that parts of a Cork city town may experience water supply disruption on Monday

It follows concerns raised in the Dáil yesterday by People Before Profit/Solidarity Cork North Central TD Mick Barry.

Two targeted programmes for intensive flushing works commenced at the end of last month in the Montenotte and Gurranabraher areas

The works are being carried out as part of the water utility company’s Leakage Reduction Programme. 

It said it will undertake two targeted programmes for intensive flushing works in the Montenotte and Gurranabraher areas as part of its network improvement plan to address water discolouration issues.