Irish Water poised to build new reservoir following planning appeal decision

Irish Water is primed to build a new covered reservoir at Stilllorgan south of Dublin following an appeal decision by planning agency An Bord Pleanála.

The existing Stillorgan site is one of the last remaining open service reservoirs of treated drinking water of its kind in Europe. It supplies 200,000 customers.

The covered reservoir will cost €80 million and had been approved by the local planning authority Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

However, the council had insisted on a condition requiring the utility to provide an area of publicly accessible open space at the site. Irish Water appealed the planning condition arguing it needed the entire site for possible future operational use. The agency upheld the appeal.

Irish Water project manager John Prendeville said: “The Stillorgan Reservoir has served the community for over 150 years and this project will ensure it continues to do so”.