Farrans Construction has started site investigation works ahead of its delivery of planned strategic water supply upgrade projects for Irish Water, working in partnership with Cork City Council.

The upgrade projects are expected to commence in the coming months and will take two years to complete.

Work will involve the construction of additional strategic watermains, replacing existing watermains and upgrading multiple pumping stations that supply drinking water to the city from Lee Road water treatment plant. The projects will increase the security of drinking water supply, reduce leakage, increase capacity and enable growth and development of the city. They will also result in improved energy efficiency across the city’s water treatment plants and networks.

Farrans Construction is a leading building and civil engineering contractor which employs more than 500 people, with offices in London, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Belfast with further site offices connecting its regional network across the UK and Ireland. The civil engineering division of Farrans operates in five key sectors of Roads and Bridges, Water, Marine, Renewables and Horizon and it is currently working for a number of water companies including Irish Water, Northern Ireland Water, Anglian Water and Affinity Water. Farrans is a sister company of Tarmac, and part of CRH, the world’s leading building materials business.

Neil Sturdy, Regional Director at Farrans Construction, said: “We are pleased to be on site for our first major project in Cork city and building on our successful relationship with Irish Water. We are currently completing the Cobh Lower Harbour Main Drainage Scheme on behalf of Irish Water as a JV with Sorensen and have been involved with Irish Water since 2013. This network upgrade project consists of the around 9.5km of Trunk Main ranging in diameter 600mm – 1000mm between Cork city centre heading West towards the N40 / N22 Junction South of Ballincollig,  two water pumping stations at the Shanakiel Reservoir site and the green area east of the Harbour View Reservoir, and associated control and telemetry works. There will also be a 130m Crossing of the River Lee between the Lee Fields and University College Cork Environmental Research Institute by trenchless methods.”

Sean Twohig, Regional Infrastructure Lead with Irish Water said: “Irish Water is committed to improving water supply and reducing leakage nationally. These projects are critical to improve security of supply into the city, reduce leakage across the city’s networks and support development and growth of the city in the decades ahead. We are looking forward to delivering these important projects and working with the local communities to minimise any potential disruption.”