Operating review

Major challenges and achievements in 2025

Delivering National Priorities Through Strategic Investment

In line with the Government’s Water Services Policy Statement, our Strategic Funding Plan 2025–2029 sets out a clear and ambitious roadmap for public water services in Ireland. This plan provides for a total funding requirement of €16.9 billion (in nominal terms) to 2029, comprising of €10.3 billion in capital investment and €6.6 billion in operational expenditure. This allocation enables Uisce Éireann to maintain and operate over 8,000 public water services assets, deliver critical national infrastructure projects, and support the delivery of housing and economic growth across Ireland. From 2020 to 2025, we have invested over €6.8 billion in upgrading and improving water and wastewater infrastructure nationwide. In 2025 alone, we delivered €1.43 billion in capital investment, maintaining momentum despite a challenging external environment. The Strategic Funding Plan ensures that this level of investment will continue, allowing us to increase capacity, reduce leakage, improve resilience, and achieve greater compliance with water and wastewater standards. To support the Government’s increased housing targets, an additional €2 billion (2025-2030, noting €1.7 billion 2025-2029) in ring-fenced funding has been secured under the updated and revised National Development Plan (NDP). Our funding model is underpinned by a combination of Exchequer subvention, non-domestic revenue, and capital funding contributions, and is subject to rigorous review and approval by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. This approach provides the long-term perspective required to plan and deliver high-value, multi-annual projects that will serve Ireland’s communities for decades to come. Looking further ahead, under the Water Services Strategic Plan (WSSP) 2050, Uisce Éireann estimates that a minimum capital investment of up to €60 billion (in 2022 monies) will be required over the next 25 years to meet future needs, support economic growth, and achieve greater compliance with evolving standards. Sustained, ongoing investment will be essential to offset years of underinvestment and to ensure that our water and wastewater infrastructure is actively supporting Ireland’s ambitions for housing, climate action, and economic development.

Delivering for Communities and the Economy

Throughout 2025, Uisce Éireann has maintained its focus on delivering essential water and wastewater services to almost two million homes and businesses nationwide. Our operations now encompass over 8,000 public infrastructure assets and 90,000 kilometres of network, reflecting the scale and complexity of our responsibilities. We invested €1.43 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure during the year, bringing our total capital investment since 2020 to over €6.8 billion. These investments have been critical in upgrading and modernising Ireland’s water and wastewater assets, improving service quality, supporting economic and population growth, and protecting the environment.

Responding to Challenges and Building Resilience

The year was marked by significant operational challenges, most notably the impact of Storm Éowyn, an extratropical cyclone which made landfall on 24 January 2025, causing widespread disruption across Ireland, leaving almost one million people without power. These events tested the resilience of our infrastructure and our crisis management capabilities. The loss of mains electricity significantly affected Uisce Éireann’s water and wastewater infrastructure, restricting operational capability and impacting service delivery nationwide. 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. Our established crisis management processes, refined through learnings from previous severe weather events, contributed significantly to the effectiveness of Uisce Éireann’s response. Dedicated Crisis and Risk Management structures and a comprehensive Business Continuity Model were activated in advance of Storm Éowyn, enabling a nationally coordinated and structured response. Preparedness actions taken ahead of the storm proved instrumental. In anticipation of Storm Éowyn, Uisce Éireann tested and readied its 420 permanent standby generators, covering over 80% of customers, and secured an increased stock of mobile generators, plant and alternative water supplies, which were pre‑positioned and deployed on a priority basis. These measures enabled water supply to be maintained for almost 400,000 customers through the storm. Operational and engineering crews worked continuously during and after the storm, often in extremely challenging conditions, to repair damaged assets, redeploy mobile generators, restore services and provide alternative water supplies. Particular focus was placed on protecting public health and supporting vulnerable customers and critical services, including hospitals and nursing homes. 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. We have invested in an additional 100 generators and are advancing alternative power solutions to further strengthen our resilience against future extreme weather events.

Delivering Strategic Infrastructure and Capacity

2025 saw the delivery of several landmark projects. The official opening of the €139 million Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant in May 2025 marked the end of raw sewage discharge into the Avoca River and created new opportunities for housing and commercial development in the region. The plant, completed ahead of schedule and within budget, was recognised with the Irish Planning Institute President’s Award in 2025.

“From 2020 to 2025, we have invested over €6.8 billion in upgrading and improving water and wastewater infrastructure nationwide.”

Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant. Image taken at distance showing marsh land, shrubs and trees in foreground and Plant in the background

Water Supply Project (Eastern and Midlands Region) (WSP) and the Greater Dublin Drainage (GDD) project

In 2025, the Water Supply Project achieved major milestones with the successful submission of the Strategic Infrastructure Development planning application and associated Compulsory Purchase Order in December to An Comisiún Pleanála, following extensive public consultation and completion of all technical and environmental assessments. The project will provide a secure water supply for the Greater Dublin Area (Dublin, Kildare, Meath & Wicklow), and also provide capacity offtakes in Tipperary, Offaly and Westmeath in the future. Its delivery is critical to the delivery of Housing and Growth for the State.

In 2025, the GDD project received planning approval by An Coimisiún Pleanála, a major milestone that will alleviate capacity constraints in the Greater Dublin Area and support sustainable growth for decades to come. The approved scheme will deliver a new regional wastewater treatment facility at Clonshaugh, a 14 km orbital sewer, Abbotstown Pumping Station, and an 11 km marine outfall, providing capacity for the equivalent of 500,000 people across north Dublin, Meath and Kildare.

Both projects will be delivered in line with best practice in public procurement, with a focus on transparency, value for money, and robust risk management. Early engagement with contractors and suppliers, as well as the adoption of innovative procurement approaches where appropriate, will be critical to the timely and efficient delivery of these strategic investments.

Enabling Housing and Economic Growth

Uisce Éireann continues to play a pivotal role in supporting the Government’s Housing for All strategy. In 2025, Uisce Éireann issued positive responses to 4,979 pre connection enquiries (2024: 3,041) associated with 182,689 housing units (2024: 114,981) representing increased demand for connections to single and multi-unit developments across the country. We issued 4,773 connection offers (2024: 5,508) associated with 41,903 housing units (2024: 52,133). 2024 was a year of unprecedented demand due to the Government’s Standard Connection Charge Refund Scheme, which concluded in December 2024. During 2025, there was an increase in the number of connections delivered, with the associated housing units increasing to 42,203, up almost 32% from 2024 (Note: these connections are not equivalent to the housing units built in 2025).

Our Strategic Funding Plan 2025–2029, approved in late 2024, provides for investment of €16.9 billion (in nominal terms), with an additional €2 billion (2025-2030, noting €1.7 billion 2025-2029) secured under the updated and revised National Development Plan specifically for growth infrastructure to support capacity for housing. We fully welcome and are actively participating in the recently established structures aimed at identifying barriers to infrastructure 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.

Uisce Éireann are undertaking several critical projects across the Greater Dublin Area to deliver a more robust, resilient water supply to meet current and future demands. In 2025, we commenced work on a significant €30 million upgrade of Ireland’s second largest water treatment plant, Leixlip, to add 63 million litres of water per day back into the network, ensuring a robust water supply for over 620,000 residents across the region of Kildare and the Greater Dublin Area. Our ongoing programme of investment in water supplies across the Greater Dublin Area will help futureproof supplies as we face challenges that are likely to be presented by factors such as population growth, climate change and prolonged periods of warm, dry weather. The Water Supply Project (WSP) will further strengthen resilience by providing a new sustainable source capable of meeting the water supply needs of up to 50% of the State’s population will support housing growth and economic development for the next 30 years and beyond.

Organisational Transformation

The transformation of Uisce Éireann into a single, integrated national utility has accelerated in 2025. Our national Asset Operations Organisation Structure and our centres of excellence are supporting frontline operations with enhanced diagnostics, training and monitoring. By year-end, over 1,000 staff had transferred or joined via recruitment, and we continue to encourage further transfers from local authorities ahead of the December 2026 deadline. The implementation of an integrated Health & Safety system and a proactive safety culture remain a top priority across our workforce.

Water Quality

Uisce Éireann is committed to protecting public health, ensuring our customers continue to have safe, clean drinking water. In 2025, we continued to make significant progress in identifying and addressing risks to public drinking water supplies. In July 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published Drinking Water Quality in Public Supplies 2024. It was reported that over 99.8% of public water supplies comply with bacterial and chemical limits, confirming that Ireland’s public water supply remains safe, and compliance levels are consistently high. During 2025, Uisce Éireann undertook over 8,500 samples and approximately 220,000 individual tests to safeguard public water supplies, with results published transparently on our website. Our National Operations Management Centre in Dublin operates 24/7, now monitoring alarms at over 600 water treatment plants, serving a population of approximately 4.35 million. This centralised monitoring enables rapid response to incidents, including the implementation of Boil Water Notices (BWNs) or Do Not Consume Notices when necessary, ensuring water supplies remain safe.

Over the past twelve months, 46 BWNs were issued and 45 rescinded, with 74% lifted within 30 days. At year-end, 6 BWNs remained in place, impacting approximately 538 people. The EPA’s Remedial Action List (RAL) began the year with 45 supplies; following targeted works, 10 were removed, leaving 35 at year-end. Investment continues in schemes identified as at risk from Trihalomethanes (THM) exceedances, with comprehensive plans for the remaining supplies.

The Drinking Water Safety Plan team continues to ensure compliance with the Drinking Water Directive. National works programmes saw progress in 2025 included:

Reservoir cleaning and refurbishment,
Telemetry monitoring of critical operating parameters,
Safety and water quality initiatives,
Water Treatment Programme works, and
Orthophosphate Treatment Programme for lead mitigation.

Rationalisation efforts saw 6 water treatment plants decommissioned and connected to more efficient neighbouring plants, improving both efficiency and water quality.

Ballymore Eustace Water Treatment Plant Repair Works

In 2025, Uisce Éireann successfully completed a critical and complex repair on the trunk water main connecting the Ballymore Eustace Water Treatment Plant and the Saggart Reservoir, helping to safeguard the water supply that delivers approximately one‑third of the Greater Dublin Area’s treated water. This pipeline is vital to supplying the GDA with water and carries 220 million litres of water each day. Uisce Éireann extensively planned and prepared for how to carry out these critical works safely and quickly. The water flowing through the pipe was turned off temporarily and drained down for a tightly managed 28 hour window. The team prepared for this repair work by ensuring all the reservoirs supplying the GDA were as full as possible in advance of the works. The works were completed ahead of schedule, allowing water to be restored promptly as the network recharged, with customers advised to conserve water during and after the repair. Uisce Éireann acknowledged the collaboration of the public, engineering teams, and local authority partners in delivering this complex repair.

National Laboratory, Limerick – A Centre of Excellence

A major milestone in 2025 was the opening of the new National Laboratory in Ballysimon, Limerick. This state-of-the-art facility is a centre of excellence for water and wastewater analysis in Ireland. The 3,800 square metre laboratory has the capacity to process approximately 250,000 water and wastewater samples annually and undertake up to 1.2 million tests, including river and lake water quality assessments. The laboratory will support regulatory compliance, enhance water quality data, and provide rapid notification of quality issues, underpinning Uisce Éireann’s commitment to public health and environmental protection.

The Limerick laboratory employs scientific and technical experts and foster strong links with third-level institutions, supporting research, education, and high-skilled employment in the region. The facility is accredited to international standards (ISO 17025) and features advanced microbiological and chemical analysis equipment. Its national sampling team will collect samples from every treatment plant and network, ensuring comprehensive and standardised testing across Ireland. The laboratory is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of 2026, with commissioning and accreditation underway.

“During 2025, Uisce Éireann undertook over 8,500 samples and approximately 220,000 individual tests to safeguard public water supplies, with results published transparently on our website.”

Mutton Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, Galway. Aerial Drone shot of island and sun shining on the sea around it.

Wastewater Quality

Adequate wastewater treatment capacity is vital to protect public health, safeguard the environment, and facilitate social and economic growth. As Ireland’s population and economy continue to expand, so too does the volume of wastewater requiring collection and treatment. Uisce Éireann is committed to ensuring that treated water can be safely returned to the environment, supporting both regulatory compliance and community wellbeing. We are addressing challenges in our wastewater networks through our Drainage Area Plans.

National Performance and Compliance

Uisce Éireann operates over 1,000 wastewater treatment plants, more than 2,300 pumping stations, and approximately 26,000km of sewer network nationwide.

In 2025, overall agglomeration compliance with the European Union Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) improved to 93%, (2024: 92%). Population equivalent (PE) compliance rose to 53% (2024: 51%) (Provisional figures awaiting EPA publication). Works at Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant (WwTP) were completed in December 2025. As the site is not included in the current PE compliance percentage, its inclusion is expected to increase overall PE compliance to approximately 95% in 2026.

The volume of raw sewage discharges has halved since early 2024. As of December 2025, 38 of the original 50 locations identified in 2014 as discharging raw sewage have been completed, with three more under construction. As of mid-2025, over 75% of raw sewage discharges by volume have now been eliminated.

The number of priority urban areas identified by the EPA where treatment must improve has decreased from 148 in 2017 to 71 by the end of 2025, Uisce Éireann is progressing works at a several of these locations.

Major Project Milestones

Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant (Dublin)

The major upgrade of the Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant (WwTP) has successfully completed the capacity and compliance related scope on the project at the end of 2025, ensuring that increasing volumes of wastewater arriving at the plant are treated to the required standard. This achievement is critical to enabling future housing and commercial development in the Greater Dublin Area.

Uisce Éireann invested over €550 million in a staged upgrade of Ringsend WwTP. Interim works completed at the end of 2023 significantly improved effluent quality throughout 2024 and 2025. The project is now complete and delivers the capacity to treat wastewater for a population equivalent of 2.4 million, while meeting the standards of the European Union UWWTD. Compliance monitoring is ongoing, with performance assessed against 12 months of meeting Emission Limit Values (ELVs).

Athlone Main Drainage Scheme (Westmeath)

The €114 million Athlone Main Drainage Scheme will be complete in early 2026, with the final phase of tunnelling and commissioning of new pumping stations underway. The project includes nearly 3km of new sewer tunnels and will significantly reduce sewer flooding, improve water quality in the River Shannon, support a cleaner healthier environment and expand capacity for future growth.

Leakage Reduction

Leakage percentages are at the lowest they’ve ever been. The amount of water lost from our networks has reduced from 37% to 30% in Dublin and from 48% to 36% nationally. Finding and fixing leaks is difficult and resource intensive work but our investment of €2 billion over the last 10 years has meant that we have made significant progress. Sustaining this progress however is challenging in the face of a significant increase in demand for water and a range of operational constraints and challenges. Rising demand, ageing infrastructure, climate‑related pressures and resource constraints are now making it significantly more challenging to deliver further reductions. Uisce Éireann’s strategy is to achieve the Sustainable Economic Level of Leakage (SELL) by 2034, which equates to 31% nationally and below 24% in the Greater Dublin Area. SELL is the technically, operationally and economically sustainable point, beyond which further reduction would be economically unsustainable and would divert funding from other essential public health and environmental priorities.

The Uisce Éireann Water Stewardship Programme is a fully funded, accredited training programme helping businesses of all sizes reduce water use, cut costs and strengthen environmental performance. With 2,000+ conservation projects delivered and 1,500+ businesses engaged nationwide, the programme provides practical tools, expert support and recognised accreditation at no cost.

“Uisce Éireann is committed to ensuring that treated water can be safely returned to the environment, supporting both regulatory compliance and community wellbeing.”