*An aerial view of the proposed treatment plant in Birdhill.
IRELAND’s largest water project which will pipe water from East Clare to Dublin has advanced to the next stage of its development.
Although there has been plenty of opposition to the Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region, it has proceeded to the next stage under the Government’s Infrastructure Guidelines.
Following the lodging of a planning application in December, a detailed business case for the project has now been approved by the Uisce Éireann board and in turn now noted by Government. This paves the way for the procurement and tendering process to progress in order to accelerate the delivery phase for the project.
Under the plans, water will be drained from Co Clare to supply Dublin and surrounding counties of Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. The infrastructure also intends to build capacity for future offtakes to serve communities in Tipperary, Offaly and Westmeath.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, said, “The Water Supply Project is a vital piece of infrastructure to unlock housing and facilitate growth in the Eastern and Midlands Region. Its delivery is critical to help us achieve the aims of Delivering Homes, Building Communities, our housing action plan. The project, along with Uisce Éireann’s other major infrastructure project, the Greater Dublin Drainage project, reflects significant Government investment in water infrastructure to support housing and development”.
Maria O’Dwyer, Uisce Éireann’s Infrastructure Delivery Director welcomed its approval through the next stage of the Infrastructure Guidelines. “This project is backed by the Government’s continued funding commitment, and we are committed to playing our part in the delivery of vital strategic infrastructure to support housing delivery. This project is achieving milestones at pace and we are taking all possible measures to accelerate delivery as it navigates through the statutory planning process. We will be progressing with the procurement of contractors and other project delivery partners over the coming months, so that, subject to the planning approval, works can be mobilised as quickly and efficiently as possible”.
Subject to a successful planning application, Uisce Éireann proposes to start construction in 2028, with completion within five years. Based on a cost estimate of between €4.58 billion and €5.96 billion. During construction, the project will employ more than 1,000 people directly.
Water will be abstracted from the Parteen Basin, upstream of Parteen Weir on the Lower River Shannon. According to the planning documents, a maximum of 2% of the long-term average flow at Parteen Basin will be utilised in the abstraction. It is proposed that the water will be treated near Killaloe and Birdhill, treated water will then be piped 170km through counties Tipperary, Offaly and Kildare to a termination point reservoir at Peamount in County Dublin, connecting into the Greater Dublin Area water distribution network. At present, the River Liffey supplies 85% of the water requirements for 1.7 million people in Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow.
East Clare councillors in February tabled a joint motion calling on the Council’s planning department to assist them in a submission to An Coimisiún Pleanála. “This project has the potential to wipe out the serious investment we’re bringing to the county,” cautioned Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) while Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) commented, “I oppose the project, the Shannon needs to be left alone, they have everything else inside the Pale, they don’t need the Shannon”.
