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Regional Water Resources Plan

What is the Regional Water Resources Plan?

Following the adoption of the National Water Resource Plan (NWRP) Framework Plan in the summer of 2021 we are now moving to phase 2 of  the NWRP. This phase involves publishing four Regional Water Resources Plans for public consultation.

These plans are based on the methodology adopted in the Framework Plan and applying that methodology  to the Regional Group Areas of Water Supplies that make up our national public water supply.

The four regions are:

  • Regional Water Resources Plan: North West (RWRP-NW)
  • Regional Water Resources Plan: South West (RWRP-SW)
  • Regional Water Resources Plan: South East (RWRP-SE)
  • Regional Water Resources Plan: Eastern and Midlands (RWRP-EM)
Republic of Ireland map broken up into the four regions for the Water Resources Plan
Click to enlarge image

Once adopted, the four Regional Water Resources Plans that along with our Framework Plan, comprise Ireland’s first NWRP.

Each Regional  Water Resources Plan will:

  • Apply the Framework Methodology to the Regional Group Areas of Water Supplies
  • Develop regional solutions for all water supplies within these group areas.

The regional solutions will be combined and  prioritised collectively on adoption of all four RWRPs at a national level.

Each of the four draft RWRPs and associated environmental reports will have their own public consultation phases.

The first and second Regional Water Resources Plans for the Eastern and Midlands Region (RWRP-EM) and South West Region (RWRP-SW) have now been adopted, accompanied by a SEA Statements and an AA Determinations. Consultation Reports summarising feedback during the public consultations have also been published.

The third region, the draft Regional Water Resources Plan: North West (draft RWRP-NW) and associated SEA Environmental Report and Natura Impact Statement (NIS) was issued for consultation on 22 November 2022 and ran until 21 February 2023. All feedback received during the public consultation for the draft RWRP-NW will be reviewed by the NWRP team and relevant feedback will be incorporated into the final RWRP-NW. The final RWRP-NW will then be produced, accompanied by a SEA Statement and an AA Determination in 2023. Progress on the draft RWRP-NW is available.

The fourth and final public consultation on the draft Regional Water Resources Plan for the South East Region (draft RWRP-SE) will take later in 2023.