Mayor of Cobh, Cllr. Finbarr O’Driscoll On Latest Water Issue

At a specially convened meeting of Cobh Town Council held on Wednesday 28 July, the members of Cobh Town Council were advised of the problems with the water supply to Belmont Place, Aileen Terrace and Park Terrace. The members of the Town Council were advised that temporary measures have been put in place by Cork County Council to provide safe drinking water for the residents of these areas and that the County Council is seeking funding from the Department of the Environment to allow them to replace all lead watermains in the town of Cobh. Members were also told that part of the problem may be due to recent changes in EU standards.

On behalf of the members of Cobh Town Council, I am calling on Cork County Council to immediately start work on replacing the lead watermains – beginning in the three areas where the water supply is deemed to be unsuitable for drinking. In the event that Department funding has not yet been received, the County Council should use their own Capital funding to carry out this work as an urgent priority. Cobh Town Council expects that Cork County Council will replace all of the lead pipes in these areas, not just the water mains, and is calling on Cork County Council to confirm when this work will start.

I have asked for senior officials from Cork County Council to meet with Cobh Town Council before the weekend to brief the members on the County Council’s proposals to sort out this issue.

Cllr. Finbarr O’Driscoll,
Mayor of Cobh.

On behalf of the members of Cobh Town Council

29 July 2010