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Water Services Strategic Plan 2050

The Water Services Strategic Plan (WSSP) presents Uisce Éireann’s objectives for the next 25 years and the means by which we will achieve them. It aligns to requirements set out in the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013. We published our first Water Services Strategic Plan in 2015 and we are now undertaking the process to consult on a new Water Service Strategic Plan 2050 (WSSP2050) which will replace the current plan. The new WSSP 2050 will be an important strategic document that will focus on the provision of safe drinking water and ensure that the environment is protected from the impacts of wastewater discharges. It will also ensure that we have efficient and sustainable modern systems that meet the needs of customers, contribute to economic growth and development, and provide value for money. It is our responsibility to ensure that all our customers receive a safe and secure supply of drinking water and have their wastewater collected, appropriately treated and returned safely to the environment. 

Consultation 1

The WSSP 2050 will be developed following two phases of consultation. Consultation one took place on the WSSP Issues Paper, SEA Scoping Report and the AA Screening Report. This ran for eight weeks from 19 September to 17 November 2023. For this period of consultation, Uisce Éireann engaged directly with key statutory and regulatory stakeholders. Consultation Two will be with statutory and key stakeholders, UÉ customers and the public on the draft WSSP 2050, SEA Environmental Report and NIS and will take place from in spring 2024. Following the closing of Consultation two, we will produce a Post Consultation Report which will outline all engagement that was undertaken with stakeholders and the public before and throughout the second period of consultation.

The WSSP is an essential part of ensuring the availability of safe drinking water. It will ensure that we have an environment that is protected from the impacts of wastewater discharges, and that we have efficient modern systems that meet the needs of customers, contribute to economic growth and development, and provide value for money. Delivering on the WSSP over the next 25 years will require an unprecedented transformation in how the industry operates and increased levels of investment. The WSSP sets out the challenges we face as a country in relation to the provision of water services and identifies strategic national priorities.

How Can I Get Involved?

Any member of the public wishing to contact the project team can do so by email or post as follows: 

Email: wssp@water.ie 

Post: Water Services Strategic Plan, Uisce Éireann, P.O. Box 13216, Glenageary, Co. Dublin 

Freephone:1800 46 36 76 

Next Steps

  • Feedback received on the Issues Paper and the SEA Scoping Report and the AA Screening Report, will be reviewed and taken into account as we prepare a draft of the WSSP2050, the SEA Environmental Report and the NIS.  
  • As part of the second consultation, Uisce Éireann will invite submissions on the Draft WSSP together with the SEA Environmental Report and Natura Impact Statement (AA process) in Spring 2024. We plan to publish the new WSSP (called WSSP2050) in 2025.

Water Services Strategic Plan 2015

The current WSSP was approved by the Minister in 2015 and covers the period from 2015 to 2040. We have now started work towards developing the next WSSP which will cover the period from 2025 to 2050 with the aim of securing the approval of the Minister by the end of 2024. To view the WSSP 2015 documents please see the below.