Public Consultation Begins For Kildare’s Water Supply Revamp

Tuesday, 7 January 2025 10:56

By Martin Osborne

A worst-case scenario report from Uisce Éireann predicts that without action, households could face 80 days of water outages annually by the mid-2040s, rising to 150 days by 2049.

Uisce Éireann has launched a public consultation for the Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region, the first major new water infrastructure project in the area in 60 years.

The initiative aims to ensure a sustainable, climate-resilient water supply to address population growth, economic development, and housing demand in Kildare and neighbouring counties.

The proposed project involves abstracting water from the Parteen Basin on the Lower River Shannon, treating it near Birdhill, Tipperary, and piping it 170km through Tipperary, Offaly, and Kildare to a reservoir in Peamount, Dublin.

The infrastructure will connect to the Greater Dublin Area’s water network and create a supply spine serving communities along the route, ensuring resilience for Kildare, Dublin, Meath, and Wicklow.

In Kildare, public consultation events will take place at the Hamlet Court Hotel, Johnstownbridge, on January 28, and the Glenroyal Hotel, Maynooth, on January 29, from 4–8 p.m.

The consultation period runs until March 4, 2025, with additional events in Tipperary, Offaly, and online.

Maria O’Dwyer, Uisce Éireann’s Director of Infrastructure Delivery, highlighted the urgent need for the project due to the region’s over-reliance on the River Liffey. She said water supply must increase by 34% by 2044 to prevent widespread outages.

A worst-case scenario report from Uisce Éireann predicts that without action, households could face 80 days of water outages annually by the mid-2040s, rising to 150 days by 2049.

Further details, consultation materials, and submission guidelines are available at water.ie/watersupplyproject.

The feedback received in response to the consultation will be used to inform the design and accompanying environmental reports, where appropriate, in advance of submitting a planning application to An Bord Pleanála.

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