Draft Cork Wastewater Strategy

The economic success of the Cork Metropolitan Area has led to significant growth in Cork City and surrounding areas. The National Planning Framework envisages that Cork will become the fastest growing region in Ireland with a projected 50% to 60% population increase up to 2040. As a result of this growth, the wastewater infrastructure is challenged to keep pace with the increased demand for new serviced land needed for housing, commercial developments and industry.

The Draft Cork Wastewater Strategy aims to deliver a sustainable drainage strategy that will protect public health, safeguard our environment and facilitate growth to 2080.

The Strategy

The Draft Cork Wastewater Strategy will consider the capacity of existing wastewater infrastructure and will identify options for upgrading and building new wastewater infrastructure up to 2080. The strategy will include an analysis of the existing wastewater infrastructure along with data gathering, population and economic growth assessments, strategic environmental assessment, consultation with interested stakeholders to identify medium and long-term solutions to the wastewater needs of the region. The strategy will be consistent with statutory obligations and regulatory drivers designed to meet both national and international environmental objectives outlined in the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and Urban Wastewater Treatment Directives (UWWTD).

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Study Area

The study area includes the Cork Metropolitan Area and Grenagh as presented in Figure 1. The Cork Metropolitan Area (CMA) is a major regional metropolitan area, identified as such in the National Planning Framework and in the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy.

The CMA includes Cork City, its suburbs and the towns and rural areas in the immediate hinterland of the City of Cork as a single integrated unit. The CMA covers 820km², and has a population of just over 307,500 as determined from the Census 2022, with the population projected to increase to 476,000 in 2040. The study area contains over 25 towns and villages in addition to the urban centre of Cork City.

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The need for the study:

The Cork Metropolitan Area faces several challenges in relation to wastewater collection and treatment, including:

Increase in population.
Current compliance challenges at a number of wastewater treatment plants and sewerage networks in the study area.
Wastewater treatment capacity requirements to deal with current and future loads from the Cork Metropolitan Area.
Pressures on the receiving waters from wastewater discharges within the Cork Metropolitan Area.
Effects of climate change.

The strategy will incorporate the needs of stakeholders, support economic growth, allow for climate change, and meet the demand of a growing population and protect the environment.

The benefits of the study:

Development of a sustainable drainage strategy for the Cork Metropolitan Area consistent with the EU Water Framework Directive and Urban Wastewater Treatment Regulations.

Outline the requirements for wastewater drainage and treatment capacity capable of meeting the demands of the study area in the context of current Development Plans, the National Planning Framework, the RSES 2020 and longer-term development potential of the area up to year 2080.

Identification of alternative solutions for effective management of wastewater to protect and enhance the environment, support social and economic growth aligning with UÉ Water Services Strategic Plan and the Government of Ireland Water Services Policy Statement (WSPS).

Evaluation of alternative solutions and identification of the optimum wastewater drainage solutions having regard to whole-life cost and environmental performance.

Identification of solution for implementing the recommendations of the Wastewater Strategy, together with the prioritisation of such implementation projects.

To develop an adaptable strategy where outcomes are expected to be linked to volatile influences like climate and population change and confirming that strategy will achieve performance indicators and outcomes at least cost.

Establish a positive connection with the public and inspire confidence in UÉ as trustworthy guardians of water and wastewater services.

Consultation One:

In our first public consultation for the Cork Wastewater Strategy, we sought your input to the Issues Paper, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Scoping and Appropriate Assessment (AA) Screening Report. The consultation ran from 15 May to 23 July 2024. As well as gathering feedback related the results of this public consultation provided an insight into attitudes towards the strategy.