River Shannon to Dublin pipeline explained

The River Shannon to Dublin pipeline, officially the Water Supply Project, Eastern and Midlands Region, is a planned project to bring water from the Parteen Basin on the River Shannon to Peaumont to supply the Dublin region and areas along the route in counties Tipperary, Offaly and Westmeath.[1]

History

Dublin City Council published a plan in 2011 to supply up to 350 million litres of water a day from Lough Derg to Dublin city and region. In January 2014, Irish Water took over management of the project which is currently in the Planning Stage. In 2016 it was proposed that over two million people will benefit from the water supplying not only Dublin but also an area including Arklow, Athlone, Athy, Carlow, Drogheda, Mullingar, Navan, Portaloise and Tullamore.[2] In 2018 Irish Water announced plans to seek planning permission for the project.[3]

The proposed pipeline was sent for review to the CRU, Irish Water’s economic regulator, amid questions about Irish Water’s leakage targets, whether groundwater was appropriately considered as an alternative to the pipeline, and the cost of the proposal.[4] [5] The CRU completed its final report on the project in June 2024.[6]

In 2024, the project was permitted to seek planning permission by the Irish Government.[7]

Environmental and economic concerns

Various groups are opposing the pipeline on, among other things, economic and environmental grounds. The River Shannon Protection Alliance, Fight the Pipe and Kennedy Analysis have been the most vocal opponents.[8] One of the key arguments of those objecting to the pipeline is that if Irish Water met its own leakage reduction targets in Dublin there would be no need for the pipeline at all.[9]

Kennedy Analysis appeared before the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government (alongside Irish Water) in April 2018 to debate the proposed pipeline.[10] [11] [12]

Ireland has extremely high levels of leakage - according to Irish Water’s 2015 business plan network leakage alone (i.e. leakage on the distribution side of the network, not including any household leakage) was 49%.[13]

Average leakage in cities around the globe is considerably lower than this – a 2017 KPMG study of 35 studies globally found that average leakage was 10-13%.[14]

Preferred route

In November 2016 the Parteen Basin to the south of the lough was chosen as the proposed site of extraction. Water would be pumped via Birdhill to a break pressure tank at Knockanacree near Cloughjordan, all in County Tipperary and gravity fed from there to Peamount in Dublin.[15] [16] [17] [18]

Concerns

Various groups have been formed by those challenging the pipe.[19]

As the proposed extraction of water upstream of the ESB's hydroelectric station at Ardnacrusha may reduce the flow available for the generation of electricity, Irish Water will compensate ESB for any loss.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Eastern and Midlands Water Supply . Uisce Eireann . 5 October 2024 . en.
  2. News: Preferred route for Shannon-Dublin pipeline published . 8 November 2016 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20161109165117/http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1107/829936-pipeline/ . live . 9 November 2016 . 20 November 2018.
  3. News: Irish Water to seek planning permission for Shannon pipeline . 24 April 2018 . 20 November 2018 . Kevin . O'Sullivan . . 0791-5144 . Dublin . en-ie . 16 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180616204857/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/irish-water-to-seek-planning-permission-for-shannon-pipeline-1.3471792 . live .
  4. News: Irish Times view on Dublin's water supply . 19 July 2019 . . 0791-5144 . Dublin . en-ie . 23 December 2019 . 3 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190903123813/https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/editorial/irish-times-view-on-dublin-s-water-supply-1.3960383 . live .
  5. Web site: Terms of reference . November 2018 . 2019-12-28 . 23 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191223125714/https://mk0cruiefjep6wj7niq.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/CRU18236-Terms-of-Reference-Wact-Eastern-and-Midlands-Region.pdf . dead .
  6. Web site: Review of Uisce Éireann’s Proposed Water Supply Project CRU.ie . Commission for the Regulation of Utilities . 5 October 2024.
  7. News: O'Sullivan . Kevin . Cabinet approves move to progress controversial Shannon-to-Dublin water pipeline . 5 October 2024 . The Irish Times . en.
  8. Web site: Shannon-to-Dublin water pipeline 'simply wrong' says critic . Mark . Hilliard . 24 April 2018 . . 0791-5144 . Dublin . en-ie . 23 December 2019 . 9 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201109040750/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/shannon-to-dublin-water-pipeline-simply-wrong-says-critic-1.3473145 . live .
  9. News: Shannon pipeline not needed if Dublin water leaks fixed, study claims . Kevin . O'Sullivan . 16 July 2019 . . 0791-5144 . Dublin . en-ie . 23 December 2019 . 10 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191210061338/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/shannon-pipeline-not-needed-if-dublin-water-leaks-fixed-study-claims-1.3957356 . live .
  10. Web site: Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government debate - Wednesday, 25 Apr 2018 . 25 April 2018 . . 23 December 2019 . 23 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191223125709/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/joint_committee_on_housing_planning_and_local_government/2018-04-25/4/ . live .
  11. Web site: The Kennedy Analysis of Irish Water's proposed Shannon Project . Kennedy Analysis . 28 December 2019 . 23 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191223125720/https://www.kennedyanalysis.com/ . live .
  12. Web site: Kennedy Analysis . www.youtube.com . 23 December 2019 . 23 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191223125719/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfBKW4_-KwE . live .
  13. Web site: Irish Water Business Plan: Transforming Water Services in Ireland to 2021 . 2015 . . 23 December 2019 . 12 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201112023312/https://www.water.ie/docs/Irish-Water-Business-Plan.pdf . live .
  14. Web site: Benchmarking city services . 2017 . . 23 December 2019 . 23 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191223125714/https://assets.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/xx/pdf/2017/10/benchmarking-city-services.pdf . live .
  15. Web site: Break pressure tank . www.watersupplyproject.ie . 2019-12-28 . 8 November 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161108195425/http://www.watersupplyproject.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/appendix_g_break_pressure_tank.pdf . live .
  16. News: https://web.archive.org/web/20161108195523/http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0731/106457-water/ . Warning of Shannon water extraction . 8 November 2016 . live . . 31 July 2008 . 20 November 2018.
  17. Web site: Shannon water extraction a concern for Limerick councillors . Norma . Prendiville . 7 August 2015 . . 28 December 2019 . 28 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191228092425/https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/business/196725/Shannon-water-extraction-a-concern-for.html . live .
  18. Web site: Why we say the Dublin Region Water Supply Project is a bad scheme . River Shannon Protection Alliance . 26 October 2011 . . 14 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121031024726/http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/media/committees/environmenttransportcultureandthegaeltacht/8november/River-Shannon-Protection-Alliance-Position-Paper.pdf . 31 October 2012 . dead.
  19. Web site: Meeting to 'Fight the Pipe' this Saturday . 2016-12-08 . . 28 December 2019 . 28 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191228092421/https://www.nenaghguardian.ie/news/roundup/articles/2016/12/08/4131505-meeting-to-fight-the-pipe-this-saturday/ . live .

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