Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region
This project has capacity to address supply water needs for up to 50% of the State’s population.
Project overview
Our purpose is to deliver transformative water services that enable communities to thrive. For the Eastern and Midlands Region, rising to this challenge requires a new water source.
Today, we have just one source to supply 85% of the water for the Greater Dublin Area – the River Liffey. This dependence on the Liffey (and the two main treatment plants of Ballymore Eustace and Leixlip) results in a serious vulnerability to risks such as prolonged drought and/or contamination. Furthermore, economic growth, population growth including the demand for housing and the impact of climate change means our forecasts show that the region will need 34% more water by 2044 than is available today. This combination of a growing water supply deficit and lack of supply resilience is not sustainable-we need a new source of water.
The solution is the Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region. A critical national infrastructure project, it will have capacity to support water supply needs for up to 50% of our population. It will bring treated water from the Parteen Basin to Peamount in Dublin with the capacity for offtakes along the route in Tipperary, Offaly and Westmeath. It will also enable supplies serving Dublin to be redirected back locally in Carlow, Wicklow, Meath and Louth.
Quick links
Water Supply Project in 2025
To find out more, click below for a short 3 minute video.
The Project
The proposed Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region will abstract a maximum of 2% of the average flow of the River Shannon at Parteen Basin. The project is in line with the National Water Resources Plan (Framework Plan) and the Regional Water Resources Plan for the Eastern and Midlands Region. The Project will;
- Abstraction of water from the lower River Shannon at Parteen Basin in Co. Tipperary, downstream of Lough Derg
- Treatment of the abstracted water at Birdhill, Co. Tipperary
- Pipe the treated water 170km through Tipperary, Offaly and Kildare to a termination point reservoir at Peamount in County Dublin
- Connect into the Greater Dublin Area water supply network, with capacity to provide water to communities along the route.
Eastern and Midlands regional in depth Water Supply Project Map
Public Consultation now Closed.
Uisce Éireann held an 8-week Non-Statutory Public Consultation from the 7th January to the 4th March 2025, to inform the public of the details of the proposed project. Uisce Éireann invited feedback from the public, interested landowners and stakeholders. As part of the consultation, we ran 6 consultation information events in January, held 2 public webinars in February, ran an information event for elected representatives in Buswells, Dublin and had a virtual consultation room available for the duration of the consultation. We also facilitated 17 briefings with key stakeholders.
Past Public Consultation Information Events:
| Date | Location | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 January 2025 | Ballina | Lakeside Hotel | 4-8pm |
| 16 January 2025 | Nenagh | Abbeycourt hotel | 4-8pm |
| 22 January 2025 | Tullamore | Tullamore Court Hotel | 4-8pm |
30 January 2025* * The event in Birr originally planned for 23 January was rescheduled to 30 January due to Storm Éowyn | Birr | Birr County Arms | 4-8pm |
| 28 January 2025 | Johnstown Bridge | Hamlet Court Hotel | 4-8pm |
| 29 January 2025 | Maynooth | The Glenroyal hotel | 4-8pm |
Pre-Recorded Webinar
Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region webinar recording
