Building Resilient Water Infrastructure for Future Generations
Uisce Éireann is entrusted with delivering secure, safe and sustainable public water services to households and businesses across Ireland. Our services enable communities to thrive and underpin sustainable economic growth.
Uisce Éireann’s Water Services Strategic Plan 2050 (WSSP 2050) was approved by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Brown TD, and formally adopted by the Uisce Éireann Board in July 2025. Developed in line with the Water Services No. 2 Act 2013, this plan sets out our long‑term strategic direction and the key actions we will take to deliver sustainable, resilient public water services for Ireland. It replaces the original WSSP, published in 2015, which provided a strategic framework through to 2040.
Safe, secure and sustainable water services are fundamental to public health, to the delivery of new housing, to economic development and to the protection of our environment and precious water resources. These responsibilities sit at the heart of our mission.
As we look toward 2050, we have an opportunity to make a lasting and positive impact, meeting challenges with determination and embracing the opportunities that will shape a stronger, more sustainable future for the communities we serve. Our 25‑year strategy, WSSP 2050, is central to this vision, guiding how we will deliver essential water and wastewater services for Ireland in the decades ahead.
In 2025, we welcomed the Government’s commitment to long‑term strategic investment in water infrastructure through the updated National Development Plan. This represents a significant milestone in addressing the scale of transformation required to meet Ireland’s housing needs and environmental ambitions, and it firmly recognises water services as a national infrastructure priority. We are working closely with Government to ensure that water services capacity keeps pace with Ireland’s growth, including the ambition to deliver 300,000 new homes by 2030. Meeting this challenge demands a coordinated, whole‑of‑Government approach.
Throughout the year, we continued to engage constructively with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (DPER), the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH), and our Local Authority partners to ensure that water services play a central role in enabling housing delivery at scale and at speed.
Despite infrastructure challenges, a growing population and economy, and unprecedented demand for water services, we have delivered and advanced transformative projects this year. This includes progress on two critical national projects to enable housing delivery and attract investment to support Ireland’s growing population for the next 30 years and beyond: the Water Supply Project for the Eastern and Midlands Region and the Greater Dublin Drainage Project. Both critical national infrastructure projects will ensure long-term resilience in water and wastewater services, enabling housing delivery, economic growth, and environmental protection which Ireland urgently needs. Other notable highlights include the completion of 12 new and upgraded wastewater treatment plants and 27 water treatment plants. These projects support environmental compliance and provide the capacity needed for much-needed housing in communities across the country. They demonstrate what can be achieved through collaboration and innovation.
However, there is more we need to do. Barriers to infrastructure delivery remain, we welcome the Government’s commitment to reforms in this regard, and are actively participating in the recently established structures aimed at identifying barriers to delivery, finding solutions to alleviate them and ensuring effective coordination to utilise existing and potential infrastructure capacity in supporting the delivery of housing, including the Accelerating Infrastructure Task Force and Expert Group, and the Housing Activation Office. Strategic investment must continue if we are to build resilience into Ireland’s water services, protect public health, and enable communities to develop and thrive. Our focus is clear: to work in partnership with Government, remove obstacles to delivery, secure the resources required, and provide world-class water services for future generations.
“Safe, secure and sustainable water services are fundamental to public health, to the delivery of new housing, to economic development and to the protection of our environment and precious water resources”
Implementing the Framework for the Future Delivery of Water Services
All 31 Local Authorities have successfully transferred operational responsibility for water services to Uisce Éireann, ensuring continuity of service throughout. The national Asset Operations Organisation Structure is across all regions and significant progress has been made in modernising operations, including remote asset management and intelligent control centres, reducing risk and improving work-life balance for frontline teams. These initiatives are part of the Integrated Operations Management Transform project, which is continuing throughout 2026. Local Authority staff have until the 31 December 2026 to decide on joining Uisce Éireann. Uisce Éireann is building a truly national organisation, integrating local expertise to deliver more efficient water services, supporting housing, economic growth, and protecting the environment across Ireland.
Recognising Success
In 2025, Uisce Éireann was recognised nationally for excellence, winning awards for sustainability, innovation, and diversity. Highlights include the Irish Planning Institute President’s Award for the Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland (ACEI) Sustainability Award for the National Water Laboratory designed by RPS Group, Best Citizen/ Customer experience Award and Best Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Project of the year Award at the Public Sector Digital Transformation Awards, while also gaining silver and bronze accreditations from the Irish Centre for Diversity.
Crisis Response
Storm Éowyn, an extratropical cyclone which made landfall on 24 January 2025, caused widespread disruption across Ireland, leaving almost one million people without power. At the height of the event, 130,000 customers were without water, with a further 750,000 customers identified as being at risk. Full restoration of services in the most affected areas took several days, with customers experiencing reduced pressure, intermittent supply, or temporary reliance on alternative water provision. Thanks to the dedication of our staff, we restored services rapidly and maintained supply to 146,000 premises through pre emptive deployment of backup generators, consisting of 420 permanent standby generators and more than 300 mobile generators deployed during the event. Operational crews worked continuously throughout and after the storm to repair assets, mobilise emergency water supplies, support vulnerable customers and restore services as quickly and safely as possible. Following a comprehensive post‑incident review, Uisce Éireann has advanced a programme of measures designed to strengthen the resilience of the national water and wastewater network during future severe weather events.
Safety Culture
Every day, people work for or on behalf of Uisce Éireann across the country – on sites, in offices, operational centres, and within our communities to deliver water services, advance our capital works programme, and support the operation of our networks. Safety is fundamental to this effort and central to what we do. Tragically there were two fatalities this year on third-party delivery partner-controlled sites. On 18 of September 2025, a person working on behalf of one of our third-party delivery partners had a fatal accident during works at Ballycotton in Cork. A separate fatal incident occurred on Saturday 29th November involving a person working for one of our third-party delivery partners on an infrastructure delivery upgrade project in Mayo. Both incidents are currently under investigation with the Health and Safety Authority. We continue our focus on safety as a paramount consideration in everything we do, embedding safety through education and awareness training regarding risks and dangers associated with construction activity. Further details are available in the Safety section.
Governance
Throughout 2025, the Board maintained a strong focus on corporate governance, ensuring adherence to best practice and transparency. As Chairperson, I am confident that robust internal controls are in place and operating effectively to meet all governance requirements. Further details are available in the Governance Statement.
The commencement of the conflict in Iran has increased financial and operational risk within the organisation. Through our enterprise risk framework, we continue to pro-actively monitor these risks and take action where necessary.
Conclusion
It has been a busy and rewarding year for Uisce Éireann, with many positive outcomes that reflect the progress we are making towards building a fully transformed national water utility for Ireland. Working closely with Niall Gleeson and the leadership team, my Board colleagues and I remain committed to applying our collective experience to drive the organisation forward, continually improving service performance through sustained investment and expert stewardship of our water and wastewater infrastructure. Our continued focus to build essential infrastructure that meets the needs of our communities today and for generations to come. This will ensure Uisce Éireann becomes a resilient, future-ready entity capable of supporting housing, economic growth, and environmental sustainability across Ireland.
I would like to express appreciation to the Minister and officials in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, who together with NewERA continue to support Uisce Éireann’s investment programmes nationwide. I would like to thank members of the Board Paul Reid and Gerry Britchfield who stepped down in 2025 for their counsel and their service I would also like to welcome new members of the Board Orlagh Nevin, Rena O’Sullivan and thank them for their contribution.
Finally, I wish to acknowledge Niall Gleeson and the Executive team for their leadership and professionalism, and on behalf of the Board, recognise the dedication and expertise of all our people, Local Authority colleagues and third party delivery partners who deliver water services every day on behalf of Uisce Éireann.
Jerry Grant
Chairperson
“Uisce Éireann is building a truly national organisation, integrating local expertise to deliver more efficient water services, supporting housing, economic growth, and protecting the environment across Ireland.”