Water supply crisis looms over Greater Dublin

The Irish media has highlighted a looming water crisis facing greater Dublin, with reports that publicly-owned Uisce Éireann (Irish Water) may soon be forced to refuse to connect new homes because supply is so overstretched.

Currently, a single source, the River Liffey, supplies 85% of the water requirements for 1.7m people in Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. This represents half the country’s population.

Uisce Éireann told THE WATER REPORT: “This dependency 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. 

“Exposure to this key vulnerability is endured daily and can only be addressed through a new independent water source. Population and economic growth, including the demand for housing and the impact of climate change, will exacerbate the region’s water supply challenges even further.

“Uisce Éireann has an ambitious programme to reduce leakage in Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow and Meath to 20% by 2030. However, fixing the leaks is not enough; the current situation of a growing water supply deficit and lack of supply resilience is not sustainable.”

A solution exists. A major project involving drawing water from the River Shannon and transferring it over 170km to the region has been designed, but is awaiting the green light from the government before it can start its journey through the state’s notoriously slow planning system.

The Department of Housing and Local Government, responsible for water policy, said it expects to progress the Shannon plan to the next stage “in coming months”.

A department spokesman said: “While there is no immediate threat to housing or economic development, we note that many water sources in the region will be at capacity by the late 2020s. The government recognises this challenge and is working with Uisce Éireann to address it.”

The project will take around five years to construct once it has planning approval.