Water Supply Project – Eastern and Midlands Region
The preferred scheme for a new water supply for the Eastern and Midlands region
Uisce Éireann estimates we will need 40% more treated water by 2044 in the Greater Dublin Area and Midlands in order to address current shortfalls with our supplies and to provide a sustainable and resilient water supply to support housing and commercial growth. The Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region (“WSP-EMR”) is an essential project to meet the long-term water supply requirements to 2050 and beyond in a sustainable manner.
The project comprises of an abstraction of water from the lower River Shannon at Parteen Basin in Co. Tipperary, with a new water treatment plant nearby at Birdhill. Treated water will then be piped 170km to a termination point reservoir at Peamount in County Dublin, connecting into the Greater Dublin Area. The project will also facilitate options to reinforce supplies of treated water to communities along the route.
The project has already gone through extensive non-statutory public consultation and there will be a further opportunity to provide feedback on the project before a Strategic Infrastructure Development Planning Application is submitted to An Bord Pleanála.
Our population is increasing and 40% more water is needed to support population and economic growth by 2044.
The project will address the lack of capacity for growth in Dublin and across the midlands and east of the country by supplying water from a Hydropower Reservoir on the largest river in the country.
Uisce Éireann is continuing to prioritise leakage reduction. We are fixing 1,500 leaks a month to drive leakage down to a sustainable level. Leakage savings alone will not be enough to support the need for more housing & commercial growth.
The majority (c85%) of drinking water for the region comes from the Liffey. The Liffey cannot sustainably cater for current and projected increased demands.