Uisce Éireann has submitted a planning application for the largest water infrastructure project in Irish history, marking a major milestone for national water security. The Strategic Infrastructure Development and Compulsory Purchase Order applications for the Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region have been lodged with An Coimisiún Pleanála and comprise more than 500 supporting documents.
Water supply in the Eastern and Midlands region faces significant challenges, most notably an over-reliance on a single source to serve 1.7 million people. When delivered, this once-in-a-generation project will provide a sustainable, secure and resilient drinking water supply to the Greater Dublin Area and the wider Eastern and Midlands region, supporting population growth, housing delivery and economic development. It will also strengthen climate resilience by diversifying water supply sources.
The project will provide Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow with a safe and secure water supply, while creating a national treated-water “spine” with future capacity to serve communities along the route in Tipperary, Offaly and Westmeath. In parallel, it will allow existing supplies currently serving Dublin to be redirected back to Louth, Meath, Kildare, Carlow and Wicklow, improving security of supply and supporting balanced regional development.
Subject to planning approval, construction is expected to begin in 2028 and take approximately five years, with an estimated cost of between €4.58 billion and €5.96 billion. Based on current estimates, the project is expected to deliver more than €10 in value for every €1 invested, representing a strong return for the State.
The Water Supply Project is forecast to deliver substantial socio-economic and environmental benefits. At peak construction, it will directly employ more than 1,000 people, alongside significant spending with local suppliers. Uisce Éireann is also proposing a bespoke Community Benefit Scheme, including a multi-million-euro Community Gain Investment Fund developed with local authorities, to support economic, environmental and educational initiatives in communities hosting construction works and permanent infrastructure.
Extensive public consultation has already taken place. In the coming months, dedicated Community Liaison Officers will engage with local stakeholders across the region, while Landowner Liaison Officers will continue to provide direct support to affected landowners.
Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation Jack Chambers TD said the application represents “a major milestone that will unlock housing in the Eastern and Midlands Region,” describing the project as vital to supporting homes, businesses and communities across the country.
Maria O’Dwyer, Infrastructure Delivery Director at Uisce Éireann, said the growing supply deficit and lack of resilience in the region is “simply not sustainable,” noting that water demand in the Greater Dublin Area is projected to rise by 34% by 2044. She confirmed that engagement with contractors and procurement preparations are continuing so that, subject to approval, works can commence swiftly.
The project proposes abstracting water from the Parteen Basin on the Lower River Shannon, using a maximum of 2% of the long-term average flow. Water would be treated near Birdhill, Co Tipperary, before being conveyed via a 170-kilometre pipeline through Tipperary, Offaly and Kildare to a terminal reservoir at Peamount, Co Dublin, where it will connect into the Greater Dublin Area distribution network.
