Essential project will help address odour issues, reduce sewer flooding Irish Water, working in partnership with Limerick City and County Council, is investing €1 million to survey, assess and upgrade the sewers in Limerick city centre.

This essential project will help address odour issues, reduce sewer flooding and upgrade the sewers for the long-term benefit of businesses and residents in the city centre.

O’Connell Street and surrounding areas
The initial phase of the project, which is due to get underway in early July, will involve assessing the condition of the existing old culvert sewers on O’Connell Street and the surrounding areas. This will involve extensive cleaning and CCTV surveys in the sewers. Enabling works (new access shafts) will also take place which will provide access to the culverts for future re-lining of the sewers to take place with minimal disruption.

Catherine Street
Sewer relining works will take place in Catherine Street in January and February 2019. Sewer relining involves inserting a new pre-cast plastic liner into the existing masonry sewers, which improves the structural stability of the sewer and improves its performance.

Trenchless techniques will be used for liner installation in order to reduce the potential impact to businesses and residents during these works. This means there will be very little above-ground works or heavy plant associated with standard construction method.

We are mindful of the impact the works could have on businesses
Commenting on the project Eunan Canavan, Capital Programme Regional Lead said “This is an essential project for Limerick City and in delivering it we are mindful of the impact the works could have on businesses. While the initial surveying stage will involve minimal disruption, some local excavation will be required to enable access to the sewers. We will be engaging with affected businesses and residents ahead of any such works.

Irish Water and our contractors GMC have also agreed that no works will be carried out during the month of December in order to avoid traffic congestion during the Christmas period.

Irish Water and the contractors will make every effort to ensure odours are kept to a minimum and trenchless techniques will be used for this project in order to reduce impact on businesses and residents.”

Works will begin in July
The sewer cleaning, CCTV surveys and site investigation works are due to be carried out between July 2018 and May 2019 with the liner installation works in Catherine Street programmed from January to February 2019.

Original press release from Irish Water - HERE