Frequently Asked Questions

Currently, the water supply in the region is on a knife edge. The average demand for water in the Greater Dublin Area in 2023 almost reached the maximum sustainable capacity of our water supply sources during normal weather conditions. Similarly Mullingar has had similar challenges. Additional capacity is required to deal with the peaks in demand associated with warm and cold weather events, which with climate change are likely to become more frequent. This means there is a water supply deficit placing thousands of homes and businesses at serious risk of having no, or reduced, water service. The supply/demand risk that exists today will ratchet increasingly higher in the coming years due to the impact of the following:

• Population growth needs: The population of the Eastern and Midlands Region is expected to grow by 26% by 2044 increasing demand for water services. The ‘Housing for All’ strategy relies upon water services infrastructure and capacity being available to meet requirements.
• Economic growth needs: FDI alone is expected to grow by 73% in the GDA between 2019 and 2050.
• Climate Change: There have already been water restrictions as a result of drought conditions in recent years. The impacts of climate change are now clearly in evidence and are expected to increase in the years to come. Extreme weather including droughts and intense rainfall will affect both the availability and quality of water sources.

• More than 25 years of analysis and appraisal of the need and of potential solutions and alternatives has been completed in order to select the preferred option to provide a new source of water supply for the Greater Dublin Area of Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow and Meath and wider region. This process began with Dublin City Council in 1996 and was continued by Uisce Éireann when it assumed responsibility for managing Ireland’s water and wastewater services in 2014.
• Between 2014 and 2018, Uisce Éireann completed an extensive options appraisal process for the project. This comprised multi-criteria analysis of all available options (including technical and engineering, environmental, risk, economic and cost criteria), in addition to extensive stakeholder consultation. The outcome of Uisce Éireann’s Options Appraisal process was identification of the River Shannon - Parteen Basin as the preferred option to provide a new major source of water supply for the GDA and other areas in the region.
• Most recently, the options for the region were examined once again under the auspices of Ireland’s first National Water Resources Plan (NWRP).
• The Regional Plan in respect of the Eastern and Midlands Region (RWRP-EM) reviewed 1,128 unconstrained options and developed 591 feasible options to address the needs identified in the region. A detailed assessment process was used to determine the best solutions across a range of criteria including whole life cost, carbon costs, resilience and environmental impacts. Through this comprehensive evaluation, it was determined that the project is aligned to the outcomes of the National Water Resources Plan.
• The Regional Plan in respect of the Eastern and Midlands Region (RWRP-EM) reviewed 1,128 unconstrained options and developed 591 feasible options to address the needs identified in the region. A detailed assessment process was used to determine the best solutions across a range of criteria including whole life cost, carbon costs, resilience and environmental impacts. The RWRP-EM identified that the Preferred Approach to address water supply need in the Greater Dublin Area and in 35 other Water Resource Zones in the Region is a new Shannon source comprising of an abstraction from the Lower Shannon at Parteen Basin and a treated water pipeline to a termination point at Peamount , Co Dublin.
• The proposed project is aligned to the outcomes of the Plans (NWRP Framework Plan and Regional Plans)

Uisce Éireann identified the Eastern and Midlands Region as the largest of the four regions defined as part of the National Water Resources Plan in both land area and population size. It includes 19 counties encompassing 24 Local Authorities. The region covers approximately 20,900 square kilometres extending from the Shannon Estuary in the south west, towards the large River Boyne catchment and Greater Dublin Area (GDA) in the north east. The region is the primary economic region of Ireland containing Dublin and Limerick City which provides more than 1 million jobs.

• We're making progress to reduce leakage. In 2018 the rate of leakage nationally was 46% and was reduced to 37% in 2022.
• We plan to reduce the national leakage rate further to 25% by the end of 2030 and to below 20% in the Greater Dublin Area. This will see a further 200 million litres of drinking water which would have been lost to leakage saved daily.
• Uisce Éireann analysis¹ indicates that even if it was possible to reduce leakage further to just 10% this would still not be sufficient for long term GDA needs.
• Furthermore, the resilience risk would also persist and there would remain over reliance on the Liffey as the primary source of water for the region.
• We are investing  €250 million each year up to the end of 2030 in fixing leaks to provide a more reliable water supply.  
• Water conservation is an important contributor to maximising supply capacity and Uisce Éireann has set an ambitious target to reduce leakage to below 20% by 2030.
• Progress on leakage reduction will assist in mitigating the immediate supply risks and allow for some growth but, as achievement of the full 20% target has already been factored into the analysis of future need, it will not make any further contribution to bridging the longer-term supply gap.

• Water availability varies over the course of the year, and groundwater sources are reliant on rainfall recharge during the winter period, to ensure availability in dry conditions. This recharge is then stored in rocks and soils, and provides baseflow for rivers.
• Although Ireland has relatively high annual average rainfall, it has relatively low groundwater storage compared to other European Countries. Over 70% of the country is classified as poorly productive aquifer or aquitard. The regionally productive aquifers tend to be karst aquifers which can be highly responsive to climate, with high water levels in winter and low water levels in summer.
• For example, in a dry summer, the water levels in some of our most productive boreholes in Portlaoise can fall by 10 metres.
• Ireland's geological conditions typically do not support largescale abstraction for public water supply.
• However, at local level for small supplies, groundwater in Ireland is very important and Uisce Éireann has 800 groundwater water abstractions serving small villages and rural areas.

• We're making progress to reduce leakage. In 2018 the rate of leakage nationally was 46% and was reduced to 37% in 2022.
• We plan to reduce the national leakage rate further to 25% by the end of 2030 and to below 20% in the Greater Dublin Area. This will see a further 200 million litres of drinking water which would have been lost to leakage saved daily.
• Uisce Éireann analysis¹ indicates that even if it was possible to reduce leakage further to just 10% this would still not be sufficient for long term GDA needs.
• Furthermore, the resilience risk would also persist and there would remain over reliance on the Liffey as the primary source of water for the region.
• We are investing  €250 million each year up to the end of 2030 in fixing leaks to provide a more reliable water supply.  
• Water conservation is an important contributor to maximising supply capacity and Uisce Éireann has set an ambitious target to reduce leakage to below 20% by 2030.
• Progress on leakage reduction will assist in mitigating the immediate supply risks and allow for some growth but, as achievement of the full 20% target has already been factored into the analysis of future need, it will not make any further contribution to bridging the longer-term supply gap.

Desalination has been considered extensively during the options appraisal stage both at project level and as part of the National Water Resource Plan. It has been ruled out as unsuitable as it would have to be combined with another option such as effluent re-use to meet the quantity and quality required due to the blending of desalinated water with the water from existing sources. Even then it does not resolve the lack of resilience we currently face or provide diversification of sources. In addition desalinated water is far less palatable and the desalination process is extremely energy intensive. In contrast, the project will meets the needs of the Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow in addition to the benefitting area.

The River Slaney rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows west and then south through counties Wicklow, Carlow and Wexford before discharging to the Irish Sea. Although the river is larger in size than the River Liffey, it does not have any impoundments or reservoirs along its length, and therefore has limited storage. This means that the volume that can be sustainably abstracted from the river is significantly reduced. As it is designated as a High Status Waterbody under the River Basin Management Plan, even if the geographical conditions existed to create a large impounding dam and reservoir (they do not).

Uisce Éireann would be unable to achieve consent for this. Uisce Eireann currently has three abstractions from the River Slaney at Baltinglass, Carlow town and Enniscorthy. The abstraction at Carlow is already subject to a hands-off flow, which means during certain drought conditions we must cease abstracting water. The River Slaney was considered as part of the options assessment in the Regional Water Resources Plan – Eastern and Midlands.

• Although generally considered a wet country, Ireland can be vulnerable to periods of dry weather, which can result in pressure upon the environment and water users in some areas. In addition, climate change is likely to bring uncertainty and, with a projected decrease in summer rainfall, may exert pressure in areas that have not yet experienced water scarcity.
• It's simple to turn on the water tap and fill a cup with clean drinking water, but a lot of things have to be done before this can happen.  Water from rivers may look clean but it needs to be treated before it is safe to drink.  First, water has to be taken out of the natural water cycle.  
• Most of the water used today is collected and stored in reservoirs.  Rainfall is highest in hilly areas, so this is where most reservoirs are. Reservoirs are made by building a dam across the upper part of a river. The water then collects and makes a huge lake. So, even if it does not rain for several weeks, there will still be water available. The dam has to be made of very strong, thick concrete to hold back the huge amount of water behind it.  The amount of water flowing through the dam is controlled by opening and closing valves. When a dam is built the area of land behind a dam is flooded, and this creates the storage. The correct geological conditions need to be available, for example a steep sided valley with a river large enough to support the quantity of water required, and the correct ground conditions to support a dam structure. It is difficult to find river with the correct characteristics, and the majority of those in the Wicklow mountains have already been developed over the past 150 years. These include Vartry impoundment dam and reservoir at Roundwood, Poulaphuca reservoir on the river Liffey, and Bohernabreena reservoir on the river Dodder.  
• The process of building a dam and reservoir is extremely complicated also involves displacement of populations and flooding of land. For example, the construction of Poulaphuca Dam in the late 1930’s created a reservoir that is the source of much of the supply for the Greater Dublin Area. The development resulted in the permanent removal of 70 families and the flooding of 5,000 acres of farmland. The building of dams and abstraction of water permanently alters the characteristics of the downstream river and due to modern environmental law in Europe the construction of new dams and reservoirs is very uncommon. 

• A 172 km pipeline corridor (which was the subject of public consultation) has been identified as the potential route for the  pipeline to bring water from the Shannon at Parteen Weir to Peamount in Dublin. 
• A 50m wide temporary working width is required during the construction stage, to manage the operations involved in construction of the pipeline.  
• The construction industry has established experience and techniques to minimise noise and dust disruption during construction, although it is acknowledged that these impacts can never be completely mitigated.
• Sensitive receptors, such as local businesses, food production business and residential houses will be identified, and mitigation measures will be put in place where necessary to minimise health concerns that are raised.
• Traffic impacts will be assessed and planned for in advance of construction of both the pipeline and the associated infrastructure. Traffic movements will be projected based on the calculated pipeline and materials volumes to be brought to, and removed from, the sites, based on the planning stage design.
• Land Liaison Officers will ensure landowners are kept fully informed of developments and a Community Liaison Officer (CLO) will be on hand to provide updates to the local community and answer any questions throughout the construction period.

• Uisce Éireann considers that public participation is essential to proper project development and as such committed throughout the development of the Water Supply Project – Eastern and Midlands Region to provide continuous and responsive two-way communication with all stakeholders.
• Uisce Éireann has engaged in four stages of public consultation at key points in the project development.
• Uisce Éireann has sought, listened to and responded to public feedback at each stage of the Water Supply Project – Eastern and Midlands Region. Each consultation phase allowed feedback to be incorporated into the development of the preferred new water supply scheme for the Eastern and Midlands Region.
• Over 1,500 stakeholders including landowners, community groups, public representatives and Prescribed Bodies have engaged with the project.  The Project Team has held over 180 meetings over the four phases of consultation including stakeholder meetings, landowner meetings, elected representative meetings and public open days. Over 500 written submissions were received through the project information channels.
• All feedback received has been considered and responded to by the project team and is summarised in the publications which are available on water.ie.
• Furthermore, feedback on the RWRP-EM that relates to the project was considered and responded to in the RWRP consultation submissions report on water.ie.
• Uisce Éireann has been and will continue to engage with landowners along the preferred pipeline route corridor, and currently there are four dedicated Landowner Liaison Officers who have had "ongoing contact with landowners affected by the project".
• There will be a further round of non-statutory consultation before the project is submitted to An Bord Pleanála for planning approval.

• There are almost 500 landowners along the route of the proposed pipeline corridor. Engagement has been ongoing with these landowners since 2016. This has primarily been undertaken via four Landowner Liaison Officers (LLOs) who have been advising landowners on the progress of route development and technical design and also arranging access for environmental surveys and ground investigation surveys.
• The LLOs provide landowners with a dedicated point of contact throughout the planning phase, through construction, and reinstatement. Regular consultation is also taking place with the main farming organisations.

• The Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region (WSP) is one of the largest infrastructure projects in the history of the State and will have the capacity to meet the water supply needs for up to 50% of the population up to 2050 and beyond.
• The project is still in the early stages of the project life cycle. The current preliminary project cost estimate of €4.58 billion to €5.96 billion has been developed in accordance with the principles set out in the Infrastructure Guidelines by international engineering experts Jacobs and verified by an Expert Review Panel (ERP). In addition, the Cost Benefit Analysis was developed by leading experts EY. Included in this range is an allowance for contingency of between €1.6bn - €2.9bn.
• Uisce Éireann has rigorous programme management, risk management and governance processes in place to manage scope, programme and costs throughout the project lifecycle.
• Based on a cost estimate of €4.58 billion, demonstrates that the project will deliver €12.25 of benefits for every €1 of costs and it therefore represents a positive investment for the State.
• As the project progresses through the 3 Decision Gates under the Infrastructure Guidelines a rigorous system of checks and balances ensures the project estimate will be updated and re-assessed to ensure value for money.

Where requests have been received from affected landowners to have the pipeline route amended the request the request has been facilitated where it:

• Is technically feasible;
• Has no adverse environmental impact; and
• Is acceptable to any other impacted landowners.

Uisce Éireann’s preferred approach is to acquire land and wayleaves by voluntary agreement and it is proposed that a “Wayleave Package” will be offered to landowners affected by the Project pipeline for acceptance on a voluntary basis in advance of the submission of the Planning Application and Compulsory Purchase Order.

• The scale of the Water Supply Project – Eastern and Midlands Region abstraction will equate to just 2% of the average flow of the River Shannon. The abstraction of water will be from Parteen Basin upstream from the ESB’s hydroelectric station at Ardnacrusha.
• The abstraction will be facilitated by a water abstraction agreement with the ESB. This will preserve the existing normal operating water level band on Lough Derg and Parteen Basin and the minimum compensation flowrate of 10m3/s to the Old River Shannon at Parteen Weir.
• The River Shannon is the largest river in Ireland and its catchment covers 20% of the island of Ireland. Indeed it has a catchment 13 times the size of the River Liffey.

• The project will for the first time create a treated water supply ‘spine’ across the country with the capacity for future offtakes to supply communities in Tipperary, Offaly and Westmeath along the route.
• As rainfall patterns typically vary across the country, connecting our supplies across the entire Eastern and Midlands Region reduces the vulnerability to drought and other climate change related weather events.
• The Water Supply Project – Eastern and Midlands Region will be a major first step in creating an interconnected network that will support population, housing and economic growth to up to 50% of the State’s population in the Eastern and Midlands Region.
• The Water Supply Project – Eastern and Midlands Region will have the capacity to address water supply need across 36 water resource zones and to create 5 new/consolidated Zones: Newport, North Tipperary, Tullamore, Mullingar Regional and GDA Regional Water Resource Zones. Water supply to these areas will become more sustainable and resilient to future shocks such as drought and climate change.
• The project will enable water treatment capacity to be reassigned from existing treatment plants, that are currently supplying Dublin, to supply Wicklow, Laois, Carlow, Meath and Louth to support future population, housing and economic growth.
• The Water Supply Project – Eastern and Midlands Region will ultimately contribute to a more efficient, interconnected and resilient supply supporting regional development by enabling more efficient management and control of water quality, and by streamlining infrastructure investment.

• The delivery of the Water Supply Project – Eastern and Midlands Region will ensure a secure sustainable water supply for up to 50% of the State’s population.
• Uisce Éireann proposes to establish a “Community Gain Fund‟ with a view to supporting community-based initiatives along the route which meet specific criteria agreed with the affected Local Authorities. Uisce Éireann will provide An Bord Pleanála with a realistic, specific, measurable community gain proposal(s), with an associated administrative structure, which the Board can adequately assess, and consider as part of the overall planning application. We are currently in discussions with all the local authorities along the route. 

There will be a further round of non-statutory consultation before Uisce Éireann submits a planning Strategic Infrastructure Development application to An Bord Pleanála in 2025.

Construction will take between 4.5 to 5 years.

The Water Supply Project, Eastern and Midlands Region involves abstraction of a maximum of 2% of average flow of the River Shannon at Parteen Basin The abstraction of water will be from Parteen Basin, upstream from the ESB’s hydroelectric scheme and not from the water that is returned to the river (the compensation water flow) downstream of the scheme below Parteen Weir.

The water will be taken from an existing impounding reservoir that is currently used for energy generation and which is located in the last lake before the Shannon discharges to the sea.