In the early 1760s the Pipe Water Company was established to provide a water supply to the city of Cork. The architect/engineer David Ducart designed the Waterworks which were completed by 1768. The site included a pumping house and open storage reservoirs or "basins" which were constructed on the hillside to the north of the river at the same location as the present Waterworks buildings. In fact, the Waterworks scheme seen today was actually built on the site of the lower water basin.
Untreated water from the river Lee was pumped up to the basins and then fed through wooden pipes to cisterns and public fountains in the city centre. The preferred varieties of wood used for the water mains were elm, larch and fir becase of their resistance to rot. The water was not pumped or pressurised but fed by gravity alone so that only locations below the level of the water basins at the Waterworks could receive the water. Upstairs plumbing in an 18th century house in Cork was not an option!
Apart from the terraces on the hillside where the two water basins were once situated, none of the 18th century Wateroworks buildings survives today. However, the original date plaque was saved and reused in the 19th century turbine house which is located at the river's edge.
By the first half of the 19th century, it was felt that the water supply to the city required upgrading. The population of the city was increasing rapidly and new suburbs developing on the city's north side could not benefit from the existing system as they were above the water basins. In addition, it was considered that the use of wooden pipes and untreated, unfiltered water was out-dated. Thomas Wicksteed, one of the most respected water engineers of the time and engineer of the East London Waterworks was commissioned to report on the existing services and make recommendations for a new scheme.
In 1854, the Pipe Water Company instructed John Benson to make a survey of the existing Waterworks. Work began with the laying of new cast-iron mains pipes in 1857 and continued for a number of years. By February 1859 these new water pipes had reached the military barracks on the Old Youghal Road. By this time the Pipe Water Company had been taken over by Cork Corporation, who remain in charge of the municipal water supply to this day.
The Benson scheme worked by supplying water from the River Lee to two reservoirs located on Prayer Hill, further uphill than the 18th century water basins. Water was then supplied to the reservoirs by two turbines located in a turbine house by the river's edge and a metal waterwheel. In the summer months, when the water level in the river was low, water was pumped up to the reservoirs by a 90 horse power Cornish beam engine. This engine was steam powered, and so required boilers. Buildings to house the boilers were built, as well as a chimney flue for emissions. This is the chimney seen at the site today.
Between 1902 and 1907 Benson's scheme was altered when the Cornish beam engine was replaced with three triple extension engines made by Combe & Barbour of Belfast. Two Lancashire boilers were installed to supply the steam to power these engines. These are the engines and boilers seen at the site today.
The Lifetime Lab is now situated on the site of the Old Cork Waterworks. Lifetime Lab is a unique attraction for visitors of all ages with its modern interactive exhibition, themed playground, beautifully restored buildings and equipment and scenic views over the River Lee. The Waterworks is the best-preserved of its kind in Ireland. The old buildings and machinery have been carefully restored and are now being used to tell the story of how water was supplied to Cork City in the past. This architectural work received OPUS and RIAI awards in 2006 for conservation and adaptation.
It has been described as Cork's Best Kept Secret !
(Click here for more information on the Life Time Lab)