Uisce Éireann Annual Report 2021 publication
15 July 2022
Uisce Éireann, Ireland’s national water utility, has published its annual report for 2021 showing significant ongoing progress in its work to support Ireland’s social and economic growth through investment in water and wastewater services for the benefit of millions of people nationwide.
Throughout 2021 Uisce Éireann continued to make big strides in improving water and wastewater services, reducing leakage, enhancing the service offered to customers and delivering high levels of connections for housing and development nationwide.
Investment of €851m in capital infrastructure projects during the year delivered major upgrades and construction of new water and wastewater treatment plants and networks, as well as the completion of critical projects such as Cork Lower Harbour and the Vartry Water Treatment Plant. Uisce Éireann also reached a significant milestone with the elimination of 60% of raw sewage discharges in Ireland, and is on track to remove most of the remainder by 2025.
In addition, we made significant improvements in service to the public which saw the removal of 790,000 people on 16 water supplies from the EPA Remedial Action List, with the number of customers on the list now at its lowest level ever. We laid or rehabilitated 241km of water main and 26km of sewer network; removed long term ‘Boil Water Notices’ for 37,940 people; replaced 5,876 lead services and fixed leaks resulting in net water savings of 35 million litres of water every day.
Uisce Éireann’s end of year figures report Revenue of €1,191m and a Surplus Before Tax of €227m in 2021. Any surplus is re-invested to fund critical infrastructure projects.
Commenting on the results, Uisce Éireann’s Chief Executive Officer Niall Gleeson, said:
"Uisce Éireann remains committed to ensuring that all our customers have safe, clean drinking water and that all wastewater is treated and returned safely to the environment. The work we do is essential in order to support economic growth, housing and jobs and in 2021 we continued to support the delivery of the Government’s Housing for All programme, with over 32,000 offers of new housing connection made.
“Looking forward to the remainder of 2022 Uisce Éireann will continue to prioritise the need to support housing and development, while protecting the environment. We are making real and tangible progress working with local communities to deliver critical infrastructure which has suffered from years of historic underinvestment. The building, repair and upgrading of Uisce Éireann’s water treatment plants, wastewater treatment plants, water and sewer networks will require a multi-billion euro investment programme over many years. However, I am confident that Uisce Éireann has the expertise, resources and commitment to continue to deliver on our strategic goals for the benefit of all the citizens of Ireland.
“The recent publication of the Framework for the Future of Water Services represents a significant step forward in how water services are delivered for the benefit of communities across Ireland. We look forward to working with our Local Authority partners and all our other stakeholders to build a truly national organisation which preserves local knowledge and expertise, building a world class public water service focussed on customer needs, efficient water services, and supporting housing, economic development and job creation across the country.”
View our Annual Report for 2021.