Project Overview & Benefits

The Greater Dublin Drainage (GDD) project aims to provide strategic drainage infrastructure that the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) requires for its continued social and economic development. The initiative involves the provision of new wastewater treatment works, a marine outfall, and a new drainage network in the northern part of the GDA.

The GDD project will:

safeguard public health;
improve and protect the environment; and
facilitate employment, social progress & economic growth in the wider Dublin region.

GDD is about providing long term sustainable wastewater drainage and treatment for the GDA.

Throughout the Dublin region there is a vast system of pipes, pumps, and treatment plants that collect and treat our wastewater. For the past century, the growth of the Dublin region – and the health of its citizens – has been underpinned by the expansion of this system which to date has mostly drained to the country’s largest wastewater treatment plant at Ringsend.

The 2016 Census recorded that Dublin and the commuter belt counties of Meath and Kildare are among the fastest growing counties in the country.

Uisce Éireann is working to upgrade our existing wastewater treatment facilities in greater Dublin and to invest in new infrastructure where necessary.

The GDD project is essential to the growth and development of communities and businesses within greater Dublin and it will provide the future wastewater treatment capacity the area needs. The GDD project is necessary to meet the Water Framework Directive (WFD) requirements and other relevant EU Directives and National Regulations related to water quality.

View our fact sheet for more information on the project benefits.

View fact sheet

Project Solution

To meet the needs of our growing population, the GDD project solution consists of:

A new regional wastewater treatment facility and sludge hub centre on a 30 hectare site at Clonshagh (Clonshaugh)

An underground orbital sewer from Blanchardstown to Clonshagh (Clonshaugh), including a new pumping station at Abbotstown

A sewer to divert part of the North Fringe Sewer to the new treatment facility

An outfall pipe from the wastewater treatment facility discharging the treated water to the Irish Sea

A regional biosolids storage facility located at Newtown/Kilshane, Dublin 11

Treating wastewater in Fingal areas

The GDD project will treat wastewater arising in Fingal (areas from Blanchardstown to Clonshagh (Clonshaugh) including from the Dublin Airport Zone), from northern parts of Dublin City, from south-east Meath and from north-east Kildare. GDD is a once-in-a-generation project that will protect public health, safeguard our environment and facilitate growth to 2050 and beyond.

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Project Overview & Benefits

About the project