Lee Road Water Treatment Plant

The Lee Road Waterworks is the oldest, continuously used municipal water supply installation in Ireland.

Parts of the plant date as far back as 1768 (255 years ago), and between then and now, an uninterrupted supply of water from the River Lee has been pumped into reservoirs on the adjacent hillside to serve Cork City’s demand.

Originally, the brief was to upgrade the existing plant with just the addition of a new sludge treatment facility. However, within months of our appointment, Uisce Éireann realised that significant elements of the plant required complete replacement so they could comply with the Irish Water design standards. Part of our brief included for the flood-proofing of the plant given the low-lying nature of the site, the proximity to the River Lee and the recent history of flooding of the existing plant during the November 2009 flood. This was resolved by raising the floor level above the 1/1000 year flood level. We were also required to liaise with the OPW and their consultants to incorporate the requirements of the Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme. Architectural design of the plant made a significant impact at planning stage. Given the history of the site, we were required to protect the integrity of the infiltration gallery (a disused groundwater intake which dates back to 1879) running parallel to the river bank and is nationally significant as it is the only known example of its kind to be have been constructed in Ireland.