Uisce Éireann - Supporting Housing
We are committed to playing our part in the national drive to provide homes to people who need them by developing and prioritising delivery of key water service infrastructure and connections. Our aim is to engage, facilitate and support development.
Connection Activity for Jan 2023 – Dec 2023
Uisce Éireann Investment in Water Services
The National Development Plan 2021-2030, published on 4 October 2021, commits to circa €5.3bn investment to be undertaken by Uisce Éireann which supports growth and the Governments Housing for All Programme.
We are focusing investment in areas where water services are urgently needed. Our key priorities include:
Uisce Éireann has completed the delivery of the Blanchardstown Regional Drainage Scheme (BRDS). The project represented an investment of approximately €88 million by Uisce Eireann and involved the upgrade of the existing sewer network serving Blanchardstown, Mulhuddart and Castleknock as well as a number of towns in Meath including Dunboyne, Clonee, Ashbourne and Ratoath. It is one of a number of major investments that Uisce Éireann has undertaken to support and enable housing and economic growth for the Greater Dublin Area. Crucially, the project will also protect the local environment by reducing the frequency and volume of untreated overflows from this vast sewer network to the River Tolka, protecting habitats and ecosystems in both the river and in Dublin Bay.
Timely Delivery of Connections for Housing
Uisce Éireann is actively engaging with Developers and developer representative bodies on an ongoing basis, the volumes and complexities of connections are increasing year on year and we expect this trend to continue in line with Housing for All targets.
UÉ has dedicated teams who are tasked with progressing developer enquiries, connection applications and delivery of connections on the ground.
Experience Based Accreditation Scheme
Uisce Éireann actively engage with developers allowing Uisce Éireann to support Developers in a timely manner.
Self-Lay in the Public Road
Uisce Éireann has launched Experienced Based Accreditation Scheme for Developers & Contractors. Developers utilitising an accredited Contractor can now seek approval from Uisce Éireann to complete Self Lay in public road.
First mover initiative
Irish Water has worked with our regulator, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), to develop a First Mover Initiative policy proposal to mitigate ‘first mover disadvantage’ for developers. This is an enhancement to Irish Water’s current Connection Charging Policy.
The CRU closed their public consultation period for First Mover on 12 January 2023. The implementation to address first-mover disadvantage operationally will take place in 2023. Further details on First Mover can be found at www.cru.ie.
Capacity registers
As part of our commitment to support growth and development, Uisce Éireann publish annual water supply and wastewater treatment capacity registers. The indication of available capacity on these registers is based on a standardised review regarding current and future capacity.
Stakeholder Engagement
Meet us in person
We are supporting our stakeholders by attending important conferences and events relating to housing. We would be happy to talk to you there.
Construction industry
We are working in partnership with the construction industry to enable economic growth and connections. Our goals are to:
- Conserve water
- Protect the environment
- Maintain water supply capacity